As fighting eases in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), displaced families are returning to their homes that have been reduced to rubble. Many, like the Banyene family, have returned to find only remnants of their former lives: collapsed walls, bullet casings, and makeshift shelters in place of what used to be homes.
Thousands of people who fled intense fighting between the Congolese army and M23 rebels have taken refuge in displaced people camps near Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. But after M23 took control of the city in January, the armed group ordered the displaced residents to return home in early February.
Although Sake, a town near Lake Kivu, is slowly coming back to life with shops reopening and bustling markets, its residents still face great hardship. Unable to farm due to threats of unexploded ordnance and ongoing insecurity, many families are struggling to find food and rebuild their livelihoods.
Reports suggest that some returning villagers have found their fields occupied by foreigners, while others have found their homes inhabited by strangers. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), nearly half of returnees in North and South Kivu have faced such problems, further complicating efforts to rebuild their lives.
While some residents say M23 control has provided relative security, economic hardship remains. Banks remain closed in rebel-held areas and markets struggle due to a lack of cash flow. Traders in the port of Minova, a major commercial hub, report slow business, with fewer buyers and fewer financial resources.
Meanwhile, regional and international stakeholders continue to press for peace. The DRC government accuses M23 of acting as a proxy for Rwanda to exploit the country’s resources, a claim Kigali denies. As ceasefire negotiations remain uncertain, displaced families in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are left to navigate the delicate balance between survival and the hope of a durable solution.