DRC Tutsis locked in suspicion, war and quest for recognition

Congolese civilians who fled from Goma, eastern DRC following fighting between M23 rebels and the DRC Army in January 2025.

Photo credit: Reuters

In a country of more than 450 ethnic groups, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been built on diversity. Yet in the eastern part of the country, where armed conflict has persisted for nearly three decades, some communities continue to live under the weight of suspicion and stereotypes.

This is particularly true of Congolese Tutsis, especially the Banyamulenge of South Kivu and Kinyarwanda-speaking communities in North Kivu.