Crisis Control: An International Conflict Roundup

In a world embroiled in conflict, it is hard to know where to focus one’s time, energy, and advocacy. Each of us is called to do our part, but where to start?  

Amidst an overwhelming news cycle, no one person can be an expert on all the issues. For this reason, we turn to our international policy experts to provide insight into some of the ever-growing crises around the globe as well as a way for us to advocate in support of lifesaving U.S. foreign aid.  

The United Church of Christ, through our Global Ministries, has 218 partners around the world.  We recognize that the violent conflicts discussed below are only a sampling of the many places where violence and unrest is happening around the world today. The blockade on Cuba, unrest in Haiti, the peace process in Colombia, and human rights abuses in the Philippines, are additional examples of other major points of concern for our churches and work.  There are many more that even could be listed.  Violence and injustice across the globe weigh heavy on our hearts.  

The four conflicts we will focus on are the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gaza and the West Bank, Sudan, and Ukraine; all countries with urgent crises that demand our attention. Each of these crises has its own nuances and players. The commonality, however, is a failure to recognize each other’s humanity and God’s love for us all. 

The Democratic Republic of Congo 

The Democratic Republic of Congo is an incredibly mineral rich country that has been ravaged by colonialism, imperialism, and continues to have Western countries take advantage of the sacred resources without proper care of the Congolese people or mother earth. Following the first peaceful transfer of power in the country in 2019, the Congolese people had hope that they were going to be able to navigate the future of their country without intrusion from outside parties.  

However, the Congolese government does not own the wealth of mineral mines in the country. The U.S. has owned them in the past and since sold them, leaving them under Chinese ownership now. To protect their investment, the Chinese have worked with the Congolese military to militarize the mines in the country. Human rights abuses are taking place in the Chinese owned mines against men, women and children, as the rebel group M23 fights the Congolese military for control of the mines. As a result, the ongoing conflict means that the Congolese people are suffering heightened states of physical and sexual violence as well as mass displacement. 

Gaza and the West Bank 

For the past 76 years, Gaza and the West Bank have endured ongoing violence and the creation of an apartheid state, leading to a genocide of Palestinian people over the last year conducted by the Israeli government and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). While a ceasefire is currently in place, with hostages being released by Hamas and Israel releasing imprisoned Palestinians, we are far from a just and lasting peace. Some fear this tenuous agreement could fall through at any time. Additionally, as the ceasefire began to take effect in Gaza, Israeli settler violence and IDF operations escalated across the West Bank.  

The US envoy to Israel and Palestine said he envisions it taking 10 to 15 years to rebuild Gaza. Under Israeli rule and without funding and humanitarian aid from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) or the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), rebuilding will prove even more challenging. And with President Trump’s recent comments that the United States should “take over” Gaza, lawmakers are raising alarms for potential increased violence and “ethnic cleansing.” 

Sudan 

In Sudan, another genocide rages on. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are fighting over territory and who will control the government of Sudan. The RSF is a militia commanded by General Hemedti (Muhamed Hamdan Dagalo) and has been previously convicted of human rights abuses in the Darfur region of Sudan. Millions of civilians have been caught in the crossfire. Before the Biden administration left office, Secretary Anthony Blinkin declared that the RSF is committing genocide against the non-Arab population in Sudan and has targeted civilians fleeing the fighting, a war crime.  

This conflict has displaced over 8 million people, leading to a significant increase in internally displaced people (IDPs), asylum seekers, and refugees. This conflict has also exacerbated many of Sudan’s pre-existing challenges such as disease outbreaks, economic and political instability, and climate emergencies. The country is facing extreme shortages of food, water, medicine, and fuel and around 18 million people face acute food insecurity.  

Ukraine 

Two years ago, yellow and blue flags flew throughout the U.S. in solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022, after covertly occupying parts of Eastern Ukraine since 2014. Since the initial invasion, war has continued without pause with Russian troops targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, like hospitals and power plants. It will take over a decade to rebuild the destroyed Ukrainian cities.  

Though President Trump campaigned on the promise that the war would be ended his first day in office, federal officials are now saying we are months away from a resolution. With US foreign assistance being frozen and the U.S. Agency for International Development being furloughed, there will be no support for Ukraine to endure the months needed to reach a ceasefire. 

What We Can Do: Restore Lifesaving Foreign Aid 

Underlying these regional conflicts is the escalating crisis surrounding US foreign aid. In Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) played a role in helping people survive and access basic human needs. Earlier this week, the Trump administration moved to effectively shut down the agency, freezing funds and ordering staff abroad to return home without warning. The purported closing of USAID and the freezing of the State Department’s foreign aid budget for 90 days will cost lives, cause suffering, and may even lead to the outbreak of more war and violence. 

U.S. humanitarian and development aid alone will not resolve conflicts, rebuild demolished towns, or bring back people’s loved ones, but it does show the world that the U.S. remains committed to seeing the humanity in all, loving our neighbors, and taking global citizenship seriously. We believe that freezing this aid and turning our backs on the most vulnerable of God’s children is unacceptable, and we urge you to contact your congressional representatives to oppose these changes.  

The United Church of Christ and our Global Ministries accompanies all our partners through war, hardship, and celebrations. We pray with them, grieve with them, sit with them, listen to their stories, and celebrate joyful occasions. They show us every day how resilient we can be as people of faith.  Our partnership demands that we use our voice to advocate for an end to these conflicts as well as restore foreign aid that helps address the root causes of violence.  

Lift up your prayers and voices at this critical time to help us build a “Just World for All.”