After the “All eyes on Rafah” trend swept across the internet, a new trend called “All eyes on Congo” has emerged on social media, bringing attention to the crisis-ridden Central African country. Hundreds of users are sharing videos and photos to highlight the ongoing violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
In the DRC, conflict has caused a severe humanitarian crisis, resulting in over six million deaths and displaced individuals. The country’s cobalt production, crucial for technology, has incited conflict among rebel groups fighting for control of mines. Reports by UN agencies document large-scale atrocities, including sexual slavery and child soldier recruitment.
Viral campaigns like “All eyes on Congo” aim to draw global attention
Clashes over land in the Tshopo province in Congo’s northeast have led to the deaths of dozens of civilians since late April, according to the United Nations. More than 740 civilians have been killed and over 75,000 people displaced in the town of Kisangani due to land clashes since February 2023.
The DRC is suffering greatly due to continuous armed conflict, especially in the eastern region. This situation has deteriorated alarmingly since 2023, turning the country’s protection crisis into one of the most severe globally. Viral campaigns like “All eyes on Congo” aim to draw global attention, potentially prompting actions to address the ongoing violence.
English football player Yannick Bolasie has joined the movement, calling for support for Congo. This new social media trend follows the “All Eyes on Rafah” campaign on the Gaza war, which was shared 47 million times on Instagram. UK-based journalist Josh Rom criticized the post’s creators as ‘social justice hypocrites,’ questioning why attention isn’t focused on Hezbollah, Ukraine, and the Congo.
In 2024, more than 25.4 million people – a quarter of the population – need assistance, with the most urgent humanitarian needs concentrated in the eastern provinces, severely impacted by violence and insecurity. Until December 31, 2023, over 9.6 million people were on the move in DRC, including 6.5 million internally displaced persons, 2.6 million returnees, and 527,000 refugees, making the country’s displacement crisis one of the world’s largest, second only to Sudan.
Epidemics are widespread, particularly cholera, with 50,000 suspected cases and 470 deaths recorded in 2023 – the worst situation since 2017. Measles transmission more than doubled in 2023, surpassing 320,000 cases (compared to 146,000 in 2022), while deaths caused by measles tripled, from 1,800 in 2022 to over 6,000 in 2023. Climate shocks are worsening the living conditions of vulnerable people, with heavy rains and river flooding affecting some 2.1 million Congolese and leaving 300 others dead, just between mid-November 2023 and January 2024.
