Conflict in eastern DRC drives thousands from South Kivu into Tanganyika

Conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo continues to drive mass displacement, with Tanganyika province emerging as a critical refuge for thousands fleeing violence in neighboring South Kivu, even as local resources are stretched to their breaking point.

Most of the unrest is centered in the Kivu region, where clashes involving the M23 rebel group forced tens of thousands of people to flee, many crossing eastward into Burundi. However, Tanganyika province, which lies directly south of South Kivu, has also absorbed a significant share of the displaced, according to local authorities.

Among those uprooted is Muzinga Angelani Salumu, who fled Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, after it was captured by M23 fighters last February. Since then, she has rarely stayed in one place for long. She is now living in Ongwa village, about ten kilometers from Kalemie, the provincial capital of Tanganyika.

Her search for safety, she said, has brought little relief.

“First we camped in Ndufita in May," Salumu said. “There were a lot of people and diseases, we suffered a lot there. We were then brought here in August. Even here, there is still suffering. Women give birth in poor conditions, diseases are not treated, others have even been paralysed, there is so much suffering.”

The International Organization for Migration says the number of displaced people in Tanganyika province increased to more than 250,000 by August. About 80 percent of them chose to stay with local families rather than in formal displacement camps, a situation that intensifies pressure on food supplies, water, housing and health services.

Local leaders say their communities can no longer cope without outside help. 

“Since they have been here, the village has faced many problems, including overpopulation and food shortages," said Bumbu Mwamba Amiri, the chief of Ongwa village. “You know that when you flee, you don't bring food with you.”

Humanitarian agencies say they are struggling to respond. Chronic funding shortages limit the delivery of essential aid, including food, medicine and shelter. In March, the United Nations Refugee Agency warned that its emergency stocks in Kalemie were nearly exhausted, raising concerns about how long assistance can be sustained.

Conditions are worsening. The displaced grow more desperate, with some questioning whether fleeing the conflict was the right choice.

“We wonder if we were wrong to leave our homes,” said Wachwa Mwilungu Imani, another displaced resident. “Perhaps we should have stayed and endured the misery. Or did we move here to suffer even more? We ask humanitarian organisations and the government to find a solution for us. We did not want what happened to our homes."

There was a brief sense of optimism in December when the presidents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda signed a US-brokered peace agreement aimed at easing tensions linked to the conflict in the east. But for those displaced, the deal has so far brought little change.

As conflict continues and displacement shows little sign of slowing, Tanganyika province is likely to remain a refuge for thousands fleeing South Kivu, even as concerns grow that the province’s capacity to cope is nearing its limits.

Edited by CGTN Africa reporter Marion Gachuhi