Congo’s Uvira residents state their greatest fears

Congo refugees

People flee from Goma, Congo, to Gisenyi, Rwanda, on January 27, 2025.

Photo credit: Reuters

Rape, displacement, and death have defined life in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where conflict has been the order of the day since independence.  

The conflict, which is fuelled by the struggle for power and resources, has pitted the Congolese army and dozens of rebel groups and militia, and sometimes between the militias jostling for a vantage position to benefit from the resources while being egged on by outside forces.