Part 5/8:
The stakes of the conflict extend well beyond military action. Malema emphasized that Kagame’s maneuvers in the DRC are about one thing: mineral wealth. Rwanda, despite being small and resource-poor, has risen to become one of the world's top exporters of gold and other precious minerals. Malema deftly linked the mineral trade to the suffering experienced by local populations, asserting that minerals from the DRC are being looted and funneled into Western markets through Rwanda.
This raid on resources has a human cost, and it is a narrative that mirrors other instances of exploitation across the continent. Kagame’s strategic seizures, like the recent take of mining towns such as Ruaya, only underscore the transactional and predatory nature of the geopolitics at play.