Following the ‘All eyes on Rafah’ trend, a new social media trend called the ‘All eyes on Congo’, has been trending across social media, particularly on Instagram, find out more about it and its meaning below
Notably, the posts serve to highlight the ongoing violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has led to the death of millions.
‘All Eyes on Congo’ meaning and why is it trending on Instagram on Twitter/X
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the second-largest country in Africa, and it is located around central Africa.
‘All eyes on Congo’ trend
The ‘All eyes on Congo’ trend features an image template showing Congolese children. As of now, the template has been shared across Instagram over 4 lakh times, with Instagram user @ashlehrerin first sharing it. Notably, a Washington, DC-based advocacy organisation called “Friends of the Congo”, also shared the ‘All eyes on Kongo’ image in their Instagram stories on Wednesday.
All eyes on Congo meaning explored
The ‘All eyes on Congo’ phrase started out as a trend to draw attention towards the violence taking place in Congo. The phrase initially started trending following the viral ‘All eyes on Rafah’ trend on Instagram, which is an effort to raise awareness about the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict.
The situation in Congo
Notably, the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been going on for decades. So far, it has displaced over 6 million people and killed another 6 million. According to reports, over 100 rebel groups and Congolese national military forces are currently fighting to obtain control.
Amongst the various rebel groups, the M23 (March 23 Movement) has gained prominence in recent years. The group is mainly made up of ethnic Tutsis who broke off from the Congolese army in 2012. The M23 has notably resurfaced and conducted attacks on Congolese soldiers after staying inactive for nearly a decade. Reportedly, both Congo and the United Nations have accused Rwanda of supporting M23, which Rwanda has denied.
The conflict in the Congo stems from a long-standing tension between Rwanda and Congo, ever since the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Rwanda invaded the Congo in 1996, following which a second war in 1998 reportedly killed about 5.4 million Congolese. Despite the ongoing tensions, Congo have named a new government on Wednesday, just five months after the elections. President Felix Tshisekedi will lead the new government after securing a second term.
Across the country, the increased violence in the Congo has led to protests, with Congolese nationals burning American and Belgian flags in protests earlier this year in February. These protestors have accused Western governments of ignoring all the violence and supporting Rwanda. As such, ‘All eyes on Congo’ aims to help bring the issue to a wider lens.