Responding to a call from President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi, the Fédération des Entreprises du Congo (FEC), a major Congolese employers' organization, has proposed establishing an "economic support fund" to aid regions ravaged by the ongoing conflict in the eastern DRC. According to a communiqué released on February 6, 2025, the fund will be fueled by voluntary contributions from FEC members.

During his address to the nation on January 29, President Tshisekedi urged all sectors, including the private sector, to contribute to the war effort. “Our soldiers are fighting heroically in defense of our territorial integrity and sovereignty. They need our full support, whether moral, material, or logistical," he stated.

While the FEC statement doesn't specify how the funds will be used, the needs are multifaceted. Beyond bolstering the military's capacity to counter the M23 rebels, there's an urgent need to address the escalating humanitarian crisis and mounting economic fallout.

The recent escalation has displaced over 400,000 people, swelling the total number of people displaced by the conflict to over 5 million. Several sources number nearly 800 or more deaths, with thousands more wounded.

According to the FEC, the fighting disrupts supply chains by hindering the movement of goods and services. This increases the risk to investment by discouraging domestic and foreign capital and degrades the business climate by weakening the confidence of economic players, thereby undermining business productivity and competitiveness.

Moreover, the M3 rebels undermine efforts to tackle illegal mining, causing the central and local governments to lose more tax income.

Nevertheless, business is slowly resuming in Goma, which the rebels still occupy. However, widespread looting and business closures have likely inflicted substantial losses on businesses and small shops.

Georges Auréole Bamba