DRC: M23 Rebels Force Schools to Fund Terrorism in Eastern Congo
In eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, M23 rebels are forcing schools to become funding sources for terrorism. Parents are compelled to pay illegal taxes that fund weapons instead of education, creating a devastating cycle of violence against their own communities.
Schools in eastern DRC become unwilling funding sources for M23 rebel activities
'The money I pay for my child's education is being used to buy weapons that destroy schools,' laments a father, his voice breaking with grief.
In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a chilling system is taking root in territories occupied by the RDF-M23-AFC armed groups, backed by Rwanda. In these areas where terror and impunity reign, schools - once the last refuge of innocence - are being diverted from their primary mission of education into becoming funding sources for warfare.
Education Turned into a Weapon of War
Numerous parents report illegal taxes imposed by RDF-M23-AFC forces to enroll their children in primary school. This practice openly violates the Congolese Constitution, which guarantees free education. The collected fees benefit neither classrooms nor school supplies. Instead, they fund weapons procurement, which, in a tragic irony, are turned against the very children whose families were forced to pay.
Communities Bear Double Burden
Local communities face a devastating double burden. They watch their children being denied quality education while their meager resources fund massacres in their own villages. The RDF-M23-AFC's methods mirror those of the most radical terrorist organizations: forced recruitment of minors, large-scale atrocities, systematic rape as a weapon of war, and deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure.
International Sanctions and UN Documentation
The RDF-M23-AFC movement operates openly, despite facing American and European sanctions for extreme violence against civilians. Human Rights Watch has documented mass killings near Virunga National Park, with Washington and Brussels directly accusing the group of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Rwanda's Shadow Over the Crisis
Behind these violations, Rwanda's role remains scrutinized. Kigali stands accused of providing military, logistical, and political support to the movement, violating international law and Congolese sovereignty. Multiple human rights organizations have gathered compelling evidence of this involvement.
The Human Cost
This organized crime against a people's future represents more than just financial exploitation - it's an assault on hope itself. By forcing families to fund their own destruction, the militias and their Rwandan backers aren't just financing war; they're systematically destroying the prospect of a stable, educated Congo.
Today in the Democratic Republic of Congo, schools no longer serve as gateways to the future. Under RDF-M23-AFC terror, they've become dark funding channels for violence, where every franc extorted translates into another bullet threatening a child's life.
Ella Thompson
Ella Thompson is a Wellington-based journalist covering politics, climate policy, and digital freedoms in the Pacific. With a background in law and international relations, she brings sharp analysis and a passion for civic accountability.