WORLD BRIDGE BLOG

While military operations against the FDLR rebel group rage on in eastern DR Congo, the voices of people who have been displaced by these actions have been drowned out.  Those at higher levels argue that the operations are a success and that they are the best option available.  However, when Refugees International visited North and South Kivu in July and August, not one displaced person we spoke to saw the operations as a success.

We interviewed numerous Congolese people who had fled violence and were living in displacement camps, as well as families who are hosting displaced people in temporary shelters in their communities. We spoke to ordinary people who, while they were not consulted over these military operations, are paying the heaviest price. The FDLR has a history of abusing the population, but has become even more aggressive by carrying out reprisal attacks against civilians. Many, like this woman in South Kivu, called for an end to the military operations altogether so that she and her family could go home and get on with their lives.


I was in bed and I heard shots being fired at night. I don’t know who it was but I knew the military operations were starting. So I ran with my two children. One woman in my village was killed.

My family is now split up between different host families and many people are still in the forest. Some of them didn’t come here because they can’t walk far. There are not enough host families here, sometimes new arrivals are turned away.

I went back once to look at my house and it was completely looted and destroyed. Almost all of the houses were. Nobody is living in the village now, it is empty.

We managed to co-exist with the FDLR before. But now we are afraid to go back because they are there. There is still insecurity in the village, still gunshots. I don’t want to go back unless there is peace.

Life is difficult here. There is no work and we rely on people to share their food. Nobody pressures us to return, but my children complain there is nothing to eat and they want to go home.

We hope you will tell the rest of the world that people here just want security so they can go home. We have enough food at home. We just want the fighting to stop.