Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced in eastern DRC. Photo by Anicet Kimonyo, used with permission.
This article by Anicet Kimonyo was originally published by Peace News Network on February 6, 2025 . An edited version is republished on Global Voices part of a media partnership agreement .
For several years, the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has plunged millions of people into despair. Families deprived of their homes and livelihoods often wander in search of refuge, not knowing what tomorrow will bring.
In Goma (the capital of the North Kivu province in the east of the country) and the surrounding areas, civilians face bloody clashes, forced displacements, and an ever-worsening humanitarian crisis.
The Kanyaruchinya, Lushagala, and Bujari refugee camps on Goma-Rutshuru Road in eastern Goma, which sheltered hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the conflict for over three years, are now empty. However, this mass departure doesn’t mean the displaced people’s suffering is over; it is quite the contrary.
Théo Musekura, president of the sites for displaced people in the Nyiragongo territory, North Kivu, told Peace News Network (PNN):
Ces personnes déplacées retournent progressivement dans leurs foyers dans les territoires de Rutshuru, Nyiragongo et Masisi, zones occupées par la rébellion du M23, signalant peut-être un calme relatif ou des changements dans la dynamique de la guerre.
Displaced people are slowly returning to their homes in the Rutshuru, Nyiragongo, and Masisi territories, which the M23 rebels occupy. This perhaps indicates relative calm or a change in the conflict dynamics.
However, their return is more of a necessity than a choice. The living conditions in areas under M23 control are far from safe. Many have found their homes destroyed, gardens devastated, and villages devoid of any business activity. Musekura asks:
Nous demandons aux organisations humanitaires de continuer à nous soutenir même pendant six mois en nous fournissant de l’aide en vivres et en articles non alimentaires. Cela nous permettra d’être mieux préparés à reprendre les activités agricoles. (…) ce soutien permettra à ceux qui reviennent de se réorganiser.
We ask that humanitarian organizations continue to provide food and non-food items, even for six months. This support would enable those returning to get their affairs in order and better prepare for resuming farming activities.
At present, the humanitarian organizations’ response is not commensurate with the scale of the devastation. Organizations like Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warn that the health and food crises could worsen when displaced people try to settle back into villages where everything remains unreconstructed.
Thousands of personal stories, each filled with pain, fear, and loss, lie behind this humanitarian tragedy marked by conflict.
Héritier [pseudonym], displaced from Rutshuru in 2023, explained how the conflict had ruined his life and future prospects. With great sorrow, he told PeaceNews Network:
(…) Je suis aujourd’hui au chômage et sans occupation, étant père d’un enfant, et j’héberge même mon petit frère chez moi. Je ne sais plus comment subvenir aux besoins quotidiens de mon ménage… Je suis juste locataire, mon petit frère est étudiant ̶ qui va payer ses frais d’études ? (…) Je ne peux pas apprendre à voler maintenant alors que je ne l’ai jamais fait de ma vie. Je recommande aux autorités d’engager le dialogue, car nous avons seulement besoin de paix pour que chacun vaque librement et sereinement à ses activités.
(…) Today, I’m an unemployed father of one, and my little brother stays with me. I no longer know how to support my family’s daily needs. I’m just renting, and my brother is a student. Who’s going to pay his tuition fees? (…) I can’t learn how to steal now when I’ve never done it before. I suggest the authorities engage in dialogue. Peace is all we need to go about our business freely.
The despair is even greater among women, who must ensure their own survival as well as their children’s. Bunawage Buterezi, a displaced woman, talks about her endless wandering in the hope of finding shelter. With a baby across her chest and her belongings on her back, she told PNN:
(…) tous les jours, je me promène avec mes affaires et celles de ma famille sur le dos sans savoir où m’installer. Honnêtement, nous n’avons pas la paix, et cela me fait mal. Tout ce que nous pouvons demander, c’est que les dirigeants réfléchissent à comment mettre fin à la guerre pour que nous puissions rentrer chez nous et reprendre nos activités antérieures.
Every day, I wander around with my and my family’s belongings on my back, not knowing where to settle. We have no peace, and this pains me. All we can ask is that our leaders think about how to end this conflict so we can go home and resume our prior activities.
Her story exemplifies the double burden that displaced people face: fleeing the conflict, dealing with indifference and abandonment, and life after the conflict in Goma. Humanitarian organizations once considered Goma the last refuge for conducting aid operations for displaced people in camps across the city.
Mama Mkesha has decided between starving to death with a family of nine and returning home to start an uncertain life. She told PNN:
J’ai décidé aujourd’hui de rentrer chez moi parce que je ne peux pas vivre ici sans assistance. On nous a informés que pendant la guerre dans la ville de Goma, les réserves de nourriture du Programme alimentaire mondial ont été pillées. Je rentre chez moi avec ma bâche, je recommencerai ma vie là-bas, car ma maison a été détruite par les rebelles, mais je n’ai pas d’autre choix que de rentrer au lieu de mourir de faim ici. Oui, il n’y a toujours pas de sécurité dans mon village, mais je rentre quand même.
I have decided to go home because I can’t stay here without any aid. Someone informed us that the World Food Program’s food supplies were looted during the conflict in Goma. I’m going home with my tarpaulin. I will start my life from scratch there. Although the rebels destroyed my house, I have no choice but to go home rather than starve here. Yes, my village is still unsafe, but I’m returning anyway.
The most vulnerable in despair
This conflict has been especially tough on the elderly. Sanvura Mawazo, an elderly man displaced for over a year, talks of his weariness after lengthy suffering. He decided to go home:
J’ai décidé de rentrer chez moi parce que j’ai beaucoup souffert ici. J’ai dû passer des jours et des nuits entières sans rien mettre dans ma bouche, ce qui était très difficile pour quelqu’un de mon âge.
I have decided to return home because I have suffered greatly here. I had to go days and nights without putting anything in my mouth, which was very difficult for someone my age.
Under these circumstances, support for displaced elderly people is a humanitarian emergency. Many are unable to support themselves, often ending up abandoned in dire living conditions.
Justin Bikalo, displaced from Kibirizibto in Brito, highlights the uncertainties long hanging over their future in these camps.
Je suis une déplacé de guerre et je vivais dans le camp de Kanyaruchinya. Tous les abris qui étaient ici ont été détruits suite à la guerre qui a atteint la ville de Goma. (…), personne n’a pu résister. C’est pourquoi les gens ont fui, certains ont même perdu la vie, et nous avons donc été dispersés. D’autres sont revenus pour détruire notre camp et voler des bâches.
Depuis que je suis arrivé ici à Goma, à cause de la guerre, (…) il m’était difficile d’entreprendre quoi que ce soit. Je me suis réfugié dans des familles d’accueil, et maintenant, mon seul désir est de rentrer chez moi, mais je manque de tout, même de moyens pour retourner chez moi à Kibirizi.
I am war-displaced and lived in the Kanyaruchinya camp. All the shelters were destroyed in the conflict that hit Goma. (…) No one could withstand it, causing people to flee. Some even lost their lives. Others returned to destroy our camp and steal tarpaulins.
Since I arrived in Goma, the conflict has made it difficult for me to do anything. I sought refuge with a host family, and now, my only wish is to return home. However, I have nothing. I don’t even have the means to return home to Kibirizi.
From indifference to broken promises of peace
Although the Congolese authorities and the international
community have expressed their commitment to restoring peace, the war-displaced people continue to suffer in the shadows. The humanitarian aid is inadequate, destroyed infrastructure remains unreconstructed, and the violence is ongoing in many areas to where these people wish to return.
Increased fighting, even in Goma, has worsened an already critical situation. According to UN expert reports, 85 percent of the displaced people who once lived in Goma’s surrounding areas flocked to the city where the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have taken over.
Since Goma’s takeover, several international figures have condemned the M23’s advances.
The DRC humanitarian coordinator, Bruno Lemarquis, issued a press release urging the international community to coordinate its efforts for a humanitarian corridor that provides emergency humanitarian aid for the displaced people and others in Goma.
While some member countries in the international community are reluctant to condemn the rebellion worsening the region’s humanitarian situation, others do so without hesitation. In this regard, FuCong, China’s Representative to the UN, stated:
Il est possible que nous parvenions à une résolution. Il n’y a pas de solution militaire à ce conflit. Les pourparlers de paix sont donc la seule solution. Et nous pensons aussi que l’intégrité territoriale de la RDC doit être respectée, c’est pourquoi nous exigeons le retrait du M23 et des troupes militaires rwandaises des territoires qu’ils ont occupés.
It is possible to reach a resolution. There is no military solution to this conflict. Peace talks are the only solution. We also believe the DRC’s territorial integrity should be respected. Therefore, we demand the withdrawal of M23 troops and Rwandan armed forces from the territories they occupy.
In December 2024, Kinshasa, the DRC capital, was close to reaching an agreement with Kigali, the Rwandan capital. However, due to a dispute, the agreement fell through before their discussions took place.
Kinshasa refused to hold direct talks with the M23 rebels, drawing a line in the sand. The capital stands by its decision and doesn’t intend to give a blank check to the rebels whom it has accused of multiple serious violations.
Victim testimonies are a reminder of the brutal reality of this conflict. It is not just a military clash but also a humanitarian tragedy, tearing families apart and leaving people in distress. Unless they find a tangible solution, the suffering of displaced people from North Kivu will continue in deafening silence.