MarmiteLover123

joined 3 years ago
[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 14 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (6 children)

It's stops further advance and the break out of a large scale war at least, without SADC or UN support, the DRC's odds are poor. The M23s seizure of Goma was swift and sends a clear message. All of North Kivu, and all of South Kivu bordering Rwanda, could fall under M23 control if the order is given by Rwanda. M23 is currently on the offensive in South Kivu.

Taking Goma was always going to be a big win for Rwanda. There's no undoing that. No South African or UN troops are going to die trying to re take it, it's gone.

[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 22 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (8 children)

China's arming and training Rwanda, and the M23 uses advanced Chinese weapons, it's not that simple. This is more the US seizing an opportunity given to them by South Africa's failure, the US get to be a transparent arbiter of the conflict (US interests are transparent, the US wants natural resources and doesn't care about principles or morality, which in reality is a better offer than South Africa's incoherent morality based promises they have no ability to follow through on), freeze the frontlines (the official Rwandan army has to leave the eastern DRC, but M23 can stay, as they're not technically Rwanda and are bound by a seperate deal, so Rwanda still maintains unofficial control, but no further advance, the DRC must take action against anti Rwandan groups). And in the end, the US maintains control of rare earth minerals and cobalt in the DRC. China can't get them.

This is also one of the many ways BRICS is kind of a joke, Chinese made missiles aimed at South African helicopters and jets over mineral resources in central Africa. And then the US sweeps in and makes a deal.

[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 24 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Neither side is attempting anything resembling accurate casualty counts. Russia is still calling this almost 4 year long war a "special military operation" in the media this morning on a visit to India.

[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 38 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (13 children)

Trump doing a whole public ceremony on a DRC-Rwanda peace deal. Really taking advantage of South Africa's failure under a UN (MONUSCO) and SADC (SAMIDRC) mission earlier this year to deter the M23 (essentially a Rwandan expeditionary force, armed with advanced equipment like Chinese surface to air missile systems) from attacking and taking over Goma, and the subsequent military defeat as the M23 seized Goma. South Africa has been withdrawing from the DRC since then, having to charter IL-76 aircraft for airlift (because South Africa's C-130s are undergoing maintenance or operationally restricted), flying out of the DRC and Tanzania and back to South Africa. South Africa chose to withdraw under a "ceasefire" instead of sending reinforcements to fight, Rwanda and the M23 successfully deterred South Africa. Less spoken part of this is Ukraine's withdrawal from MONUSCO in 2022, they supplied close air support in attack helicopters and heavy airlift with Antonov AN-124s. South Africa's Rooivalk attack helicopters stationed in the DRC were not airworthy and were withdrawn in late 2024 before fighting broke out.

The Trump peace deal mirrors the Ukrainian rare earth minerals/natural resource extraction deal. US access to the DRC's natural resources in exchange for security guarantees for the DRC. South Africa has been kicked out of it's own backyard in essence, Rwanda and the M23 exploiting weakness and an operational opportunity, and the USA now negotiating "peace". Because the M23 are technically seperate from Rwanda, they are part of seperate peace talks mediated by Qatar. This comes with growing geopolitical tensions between the USA and South Africa, with threats to kick South Africa out of the G20, and "Afrikaner refugee" claims over a non existent genocide, and tension over South Africa's affirmative action economic and employment policies, called BEE (Black Economic Empowerment).

Summary report and timeline

[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 30 points 2 days ago (12 children)

I doubt figures of 1 million KIA for both sides. 1 million casualties, sure. But 1 million KIA is quite extreme.

[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 11 points 2 days ago

To be honest, this reads like it was written by AI

[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

If I'm thinking of some symbiosis, the sound, sight and shadow of the boats probably scares the fish out of hiding/camouflage, which makes them easier for the cormorants to catch. And then humans figured out how to train the cormorants following the boats and gobbling up all the fish.

[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 2 points 2 days ago

From googling the US has the double crested cormorant, and they are present everywhere from Alaska to Florida. So that's pretty cool. Herons are also present where I live.

[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (5 children)

I grew up watching them at the local bird park. They're amazing swimmers and swallow their prey whole. Like to bask in the sun to dry their wings out, spreading them wide.

[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 9 points 2 days ago (6 children)

BRICS

As someone from a BRICS country: 😂😂😂😂😂😂. Easily the most useless alliance in the history of alliances.

[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 7 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (7 children)

Wait until you learn about cormorants. Also how some fishermen use cormorants to fish for them. Amazing birds.

[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 9 points 2 days ago

Iran shot one down a few years ago. The North Korean version is a bit smaller than the US one though, apparently it shares parts with the MiG-21.

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