Seconded By: Philippe Chancel
For more than 30 years, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been embroiled in endless conflict despite the largest UN mission in the world and the billions injected by donors. The conflict has changed, but has not gone away. It has become more amorphous and fragmented. For example, there were around ten armed groups in 2006, whereas today there are around 120. The war has become peripheral and no longer threatens the major urban centres, but it still has serious consequences. for civilian populations, since there are 5.5 million displaced people in 2021. This is a figure that has never been so high in Congolese history, even at the height of the war. Despite the arrival of the East African community EAC Violence has changed its face, but has not diminished.
The eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been ravaged by three decades of incessant wars, which have claimed millions of civilian and military victims. As the situation descends into a military-political stalemate and violence rages on, what about the people who yearn for peace and security?
At the end of 2021, the March 23 Movement (M23) it’s reappeared: it is the resumption of fighting with the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC). It is not the only armed group in the east: there would be more than a hundred. Faced with this explosive situation, the Congolese army is reinforced by those of neighboring states, several peace and mediation initiatives have been launched. But these military and political responses have so far been ineffective.
The region has been the scene of the formation, dissolution and reappearance of armed groups for more than 30 years, without any military operation having succeeded in calming the situation. The population, victim of this tragedy, deeply aspires to peace, while elections are looming for the end of 2023.
On June 20, 2022, the Community of East African States (EAC) decides to send a regional force to fight armed groups in the eastern provinces of the DRC, in Ituri, in the North -Kivu and South Kivu. This after the holding of meetings on eastern DRC at the initiative of former Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta, following the accession to the EAC in March 2022. But until there the war does not end

AN ENDLESS WAR
1. Aerial view of one of the largest camps for displaced people, the Kanyarutshinya camp.
10 Nov 2022
photo: Moses sawasawa.

AN ENDLESS WAR
2. forces near Kibumba, some 20 kms (12 miles) North of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Jan. 26, 2025. Hundreds have been killed and nearly 200,000 people displaced since fighting erupted a year ago. Congo has long accused Rwanda of backing the rebels.
Moses sawasawa

AN ENDLESS WAR
3. Residents flee fighting between M23 rebels and Congolese forces near Kibumba, some 20 kms (12 miles) North of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Saturday Oct. 29, 2022. A little girl fleeing the war with her braid on her head.
photo: Moses sawasawa.

AN ENDLESS WAR
4. forces near Kibumba, some 20 kms (12 miles) North of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Saturday Oct. 29, 2022. Hundreds have been killed and nearly 200,000 people displaced since fighting erupted a year ago. Congo has long accused Rwanda of backing the rebels.
photo: Moses sawasawa.

AN ENDLESS WAR
6. A young girl waiting to be served food from a local organization that distributes food in kanyaruthinya camps 10 Nov 2022.
photo: Moses sawasawa.

AN ENDLESS WAR
5. A woman who is waiting for the arrival of the general of the regional force Mr Jeff Nyagha in the Masisi territory in kolorirwe
20 Apr 2023.
photo: Moses sawasawa.

AN ENDLESS WAR
7. A soldier of the regional force of the burundian quota on a hill in the Masisi territory Kilolirwe
24 Apr 2023.
photo: Moses sawasawa.

AN ENDLESS WAR
8. M23 rebels prepare to leave after a ceremony to mark the withdrawal from their positions in the town of Rumangabo, in the eastern of Democratic Republic of Congo, jan. 6, 2023. M23 rebels retreated from a village in eastern Congo in the group’s first withdrawal from an occupied village since it seized swaths of land months ago.
photo: Moses sawasawa.