VANGUARD - Expressing the viewpoint of the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist) For National Independence and Socialism • www.cpaml.org
ICOR strongly condemns the invasion of Congo by Rwandan troops and the blockade of the city of Goma
The attack of the Rwandan special forces on the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo was only possible with the support of highly developed equipment supplied by Western powers. The current situation in Eastern Congo is once again leading the region into an unprecedented cycle of violence.
The Congolese masses are caught in a vise and their situation is becoming increasingly untenable. From 25 December 2024, Goma and its population of over one million people has been added to the hundreds of thousands already wandering around in the jungles of the surrounding localities, fleeing bombings and insults from all sides. All supply routes for essential goods have been cut, including the city's water and electricity supply, which is now cut off from the outside world.
The destabilization of Congo, which has been going on for 65 years, is in line with the logic of imperialist exploitation and domination, with destabilization being a means to ensure the orderly plundering of Congo's natural resources. Millions of people were killed and millions more displaced. And Rwanda is playing the role once ascribed to the brokers during the slave trade, namely to serve the imperialist conquest of the Congolese mines..
The Democratic Republic of Congo is rich in natural resources, including gold, copper, tin, uranium and minerals such as coltan, which is used in the production of tantalum for cell phones and computers. In 2016, Rwanda accounted for 50% of global tantalum production, with the majority coming from coltan mines seized in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
(Above: street art protesting Apple'srole in exploiting African labour for coltan supplies)
China now owns most of the cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, having bought out the previous owners from the US, and also controls most of the copper and uranium mines. The Congolese army has protected the Chinese assets.
The ICOR demands the immediate withdrawal of the Rwandan troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The ICOR supports the resistance of the Congolese people against imperialist domination and its Rwandan accomplice.
The ICOR supports the right of the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo to own and control the natural resources of their country.
The ICOR calls for solidarity with the progressive organizations in the Democratic Republic of Congo in order to strengthen the resistance of the Congolese people.
The ICOR calls on all its members to actively oppose the import of Rwandan minerals into the European Union and demands the revocation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the EU and Rwanda from 2024 on the import of “Rwandan” minerals into the EU.
The ICOR demands a ban on the sale of arms to Rwanda.
The ICOR calls on all revolutionary organizations in the Democratic Republic of Congo to intensify their struggle against imperialism and to take a stand for socialism - the true liberation of the Congolese people!
Long live proletarian internationalism in the struggle for national liberation, democracy and socialism!
Status of the signatories 04.03.2025. Further signing possible. Current list of signatories at www.icor.info
1.ORC Organisation Révolutionnaire du Congo (Revolutionary Organization of Congo), Democratic Republic of the Congo
2.CPK Communist Party of Kenya
3.CPSA (ML) Communist Party of South Africa (Marxist-Leninist)
4.PPDS Parti Patriotique Démocratique Socialiste (Patriotic Democratic Socialist Party), Tunisia
5.SPB Socialist Party of Bangladesh
6.NCP (Mashal) Nepal Communist Party (Mashal)
7.RUFN Revolutionary United Front of Nepal
8.CPA/ML Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)
9.Krasnyj Klin Аб'яднання беларускіх камуністаў «Чырвоны Клін» (Association of Belarusian Communists «Red Wedge»), Belarus
10.БКП Българска Комунистическа Партия (Bulgarian Communist Party)
11.PR-ByH Partija Rada - ByH (Party of Labor - Bosnia and Herzegovina)
12.MLPD Marxistisch-Leninistische Partei Deutschlands (Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany)
13.UPML Union Prolétarienne Marxiste-Léniniste (Marxist-Leninist Proletarian Union), France
14.BP (NK-T) Bolşevik Parti (Kuzey Kürdistan-Türkiye) (Bolshevik Party (North Kurdistan-Turkey))
15.KOL Kommunistische Organisation Luxemburg (Communist Organization of Luxemburg)
