In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), millions of deaths have occurred over several decades due to sustained conflict, particularly in the country’s eastern regions. While there is no single event where millions were killed at once, the cumulative death toll from prolonged violence and its resulting humanitarian crises is among the deadliest since World War II. [1, 2, 3]
The Second Congo War (1998–2003)
- The deadliest period was the Second Congo War, also known as “Africa’s World War,” which drew in armies from nine African nations and various armed militias.
- The International Rescue Committee reported that between 1998 and 2007, approximately 5.4 million people died as a result of the conflict.
- Most deaths were not from direct combat but from preventable conditions caused by the conflict, such as disease, malnutrition, and the collapse of health infrastructure.
- A 2008 report revised the total figure to 5.4 million “excess deaths,” meaning deaths above the normal mortality rate for the period. [3, 4, 5, 6]
Continuing violence in the Eastern Congo
Despite the war’s official end in 2003, violence continues in eastern DRC and contributes to a long-running humanitarian crisis. [3, 7, 8, 9]
2025 escalations
- Throughout 2025, fighting between the Congolese military and the M23 rebel group, which is allegedly backed by Rwanda, has intensified.
- The UN has described the conflict in the east as one of the world’s most complex and severe humanitarian crises, with over 7 million people displaced.
- Goma and Bukavu offensives (early 2025): The M23 rebels captured the key cities of Goma and Bukavu in January and February 2025, displacing hundreds of thousands of people.
- One UN official stated that around 3,000 people were killed in January and February 2025 alone during this offensive.
- Massacres in July 2025: A Human Rights Watch report released in August 2025 documented that M23 rebels massacred at least 141 villagers in North Kivu province in July. Victims were often executed with “apparent total disregard for the protection of civilians”.
- Targeting civilians: Rebel groups, including the M23 and the ADF, have continued to target civilians, using sexual violence as a weapon of war and attacking communities and health facilities. [10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17]
Atrocities under King Leopold II
Long before the modern wars, King Leopold II of Belgium presided over the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908. While an exact number is impossible to determine, historians estimate millions of Congolese were killed or died from exploitation and atrocities committed under his rule. The widespread killings, mutilations, and starvation under the forced-labor rubber trade led to a drastic reduction in the population. [18, 19]
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://panzifoundation.org/war-in-congo/
[2] https://worldwithoutgenocide.org/genocides-and-conflicts/congo
[3] https://historyguild.org/africas-world-war-the-congo-war/
[4] https://www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/countries/democratic-republic-of-the-congo/1996-present
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Congo_War
[6] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2223004/
[7] https://worldwithoutgenocide.org/genocides-and-conflicts/congo
[8] https://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases/fear-mounts-as-violence-spreads-in-eastern-drc
[9] https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/ifhv/documents/workingpapers/wp2_2.pdf
[11] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8x5y2zvzk0o
[12] https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/06/1164466
[15] https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/06/1165056
[16] https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/08/1165586
[17] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Bukavu_offensive
[19] https://concernusa.org/news/drc-crisis-timeline/
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