DR Congo civilians in North Kivu trapped between the army and M23 rebels
North Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been riven by fighting between the Congolese army and rebels from the M23 movement since early December 2024. People living in this restive province have been forced to flee – or become trapped in the midst of increasingly violent clashes. Our team spoke to displaced people on either side of the frontlines.
Documenting the resurgence of violence in North Kivu is difficult. Very few photos reach social media or traditional media outlets from this isolated and mountainous province in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). And yet fighting has broken out there, including in the territories of Masisi, Lubero and Nyiragongo.
"These are remote areas, where there are few journalists and most people don’t have phones, says Baraka Héritier, a journalist based in Goma, the biggest town in the eastern part of the DRC. "There are villages, like Bingi, for example, where there isn’t even a phone network.”
Most of the scant information about the locations of the two opposing forces – the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and rebels from the March 23 Movement – come from their own communications.
Based on this information, it looks as if M23 has launched a new offensive in Lubero territory, a place that up until now had only seen sporadic fighting since M23 regrouped in late 2021. The northbound offensive has been launched from the town of Kirumba, which has been under control since July 2024.
Michel (not his real name) spoke frankly about his experience and what led him to flee.
