Ituri: Inter-Ethnic Violence Ravages DR Congo Communities

A renewed wave of violence between the Democratic Republic of Congo’s armed forces (FARDC) and alleged members of the Zaire rebellion in Nyamamba has triggered a round of displacement in Angumu’s health zone, Djungu territory, and Ituri province.

Local sources and health authorities in the country informed HumAngle that 10,897 individuals from approximately 2,204 households have arrived in several waves since March 17 across 15 different areas, including Abia, Awasi, Apala Etat, Abira, Uyandu, and Pakala.

The Food Security Cluster, a charity coordinating food security responses during and after a humanitarian crisis, reports that these displaced persons, having fled from violence in the Bahema Banywagi chiefdom, are now living in very precarious situations. According to them, several vulnerabilities have been observed within the displaced persons, especially health challenges as well as food security and protection. Reception conditions remain difficult, and humanitarian needs continue to rise.

Faced with this situation, local authorities have urgently appealed to provincial authorities and humanitarian organisations to mobilise the necessary resources to assist the displaced persons. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) has agreed to share the alert with rapid response actors to assess the priority needs and ensure an urgent intervention in the receiving areas.

The emerging humanitarian crisis in Ituri exacerbates an already precarious situation characterised by persistent cycles of violence and repeated displacement of communities, further straining the region’s fragile stability.

For over a decade, the Ituri province in eastern parts of the country has been enmeshed in a cycle of inter-ethnic violence, primarily between the Lendu and Hema communities. Driven by a complex mix of criminal interests and regional geopolitical tensions, this conflict has ravaged Ituri. Vulnerable and without support, adolescents, often still in their early teens, were coerced into bearing arms to protect their communities, abruptly ending their childhood.

“It was the absence of peace that drove us to take up arms. I saw my loved ones being killed, which aroused in me a deep sense of revolt. I took up arms at the age of 15 and took part in attacks, thinking that this would bring us peace,” Elle Alphonsine Cecile, 22, a former combatant, told a Peace News journalist. Today, I regret my actions. Living conditions remain precarious, but I believe that a future of stability is possible.”