Escalating violence in the country’s North Kivu province has now pushed the number of internally displaced people to a record 6.9 million. Many have had to flee their homes multiple times in a country where displacement and loss are part of a recurring pattern, as violence passes down the generations
Hugh Kinsella Cunningham in North Kivu
Main image: A member of the Mai Mai militia after recapturing the town of Burungu from M23 forces, in Masisi territory, North Kivu province
Mon 20 Nov 2023 00.00 EST Last modified on Mon 20 Nov 2023 18.01 EST
A mother and child walk at dusk in Bulengo camp outside the city of Goma, North Kivu province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. About 40,000 displaced people live in Bulengo camp. The M23 conflict has forced hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee their homes. At the camps many are confronted with harsh conditions, including outbreaks of cholera, and frequent sexual violence Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Congolese army units drive past people at a camp, in Sake, North Kivu province. Fighting in the area has intensified since October, particularly north of the provincial capital Goma. The town of Sake was a key objective of an M23 offensive seeking to isolate Goma Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
An aerial view of hills believed to be where M23 have their defensive positions in Masisi, in North Kivu province. These positions, on hills called ‘Jerusalem’ by the Congolese army, were fortified by M23 rebels in early 2023 Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Troops from South Sudan deploy to eastern Congo. South Sudan has sent about 700 soldiers to intervene in the fighting with M23 rebels. The unit is part of an East African Community (EAC) regional force, which includes troops from Uganda, Burundi and Kenya. The EAC force has been used to maintain a ceasefire and ‘buffer zones’ between the M23 rebels and the Congolese army, resulting in an uneasy detente, while violence continues
Congolese army units patrol Masisi territory close to Sake, the frontline with M23 rebel forces. In 2022 and 2023, M23 forces – with help from the Rwandan army – were able to occupy huge swathes of territory in North Kivu province, and defeat many Congolese army units as well as local militia in the area Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Houses that were destroyed when local armed groups advance, near Nturo, Masisi territory. The resurgence of the M23 rebellion in DRC has led to the widespread arming of local militias who are being mobilised to fight advancing units Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Aline Ushindi, 25, and her baby, Nadine. ‘We’ve been living in a camp for three weeks,’ says Aline. ‘[We left] because shells and explosions started to fall around Kibumba, when the M23 attacked us. My husband and I gathered the children, and walked to Goma. Some people were killed. There was so much gunfire I began to feel sick with fear. It’s tough but we are safe [now we’re here]. There’s nothing for the children, no water and no work. We spent two days with no food, and sometimes we eat once a day. We need tarpaulins, food and clothes, but I mostly hope to return home when the fighting stops’ Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Ushindi Maniraguha, 20, and her sister Anuarite, 10. ‘I’ve been here for three weeks with my little sister,’ says Ushindi. ‘There are nine in our family and we walked together to escape the fighting. We all heard bombs falling, and children were wounded and lost. Military vehicles going to supply the soldiers even knocked some children down. I was still young in the last war, but I remember having to flee before, to Masisi. Here in the camp we are exposed to diseases – everyone has forgotten us. Maybe they think we are not human. But we’re not animals. Seeing my brothers and sisters dying of hunger pains me’ Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Marie Ndimanya, 32. ‘We were at home in Rugari when we learned the fighting was coming from the direction of Jomba,’ she says. ‘We heard gunfire. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but I fled with the children, we would have all died if we hadn’t. Several people who stayed were murdered. I saw houses being destroyed and soldiers running. Some lost their lives and others got lost in the forest running into Virunga. The rebels change their names but it is always the same people. It’s always us who pay the price for broken bridges and failed agreements. They sign their peace accords but we remain victims’ Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Lazare Mbavu, 72. ‘The attack was a month ago in Kibumba,’ he says. ‘We were under fire and ran in the direction of Goma. It was chaos; there were dead bodies and a few were crushed by cars on the road. There were pregnant women in our group who ran, and the sound of the bombs caused such fear. The war came from our neighbouring country. Not once in my life have I seen the Congolese invade Rwanda, but they often bring war here. We don’t know why this is happening to us. Our people cry all the time, we sleep in unsuitable places and eat badly’ Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
A member of the Mai Mai militia from the Alliance of Patriots for a Free and Sovereign Congo (APCLS) armed group, after recapturing the town of Burungu from M23 forces on 14 October Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
