By Michael Arunga
Continuous armed conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has triggered a grim humanitarian crisis, with over 1 million people displaced. These internally displaced people (IDPs), many of whom have been fleeing on foot with their belongings, are seeking shelter in various regions of eastern DRC.
Conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has prompted thousands of to flock into the Kiwanja region. Unfortunately, strife has followed them.
Paluku Kihundu from Kiwanja, said that residents at first welcomed the escalating number of desperate new arrivals into the area. But things turned negative following incidents where some armed internally displaced persons (IDPs) plundered the local food crops, prompting food insecurity and increased reliance on already limited relief food.
Harvesting Crops at Gunpoint
Sixty-two year old Kihundu and his family are starving. They toil on their farms, only for armed IDPs to carry away the produce.
Kihundu, a grandfather, has a wife and eight grown children. His home is approximately 70 kilometers from the city of Goma. While the area is fertile with sufficient rainfall for agriculture, residents are appealing for relief food. Their hard work farming their crops is amounting to nothing because they are being robbed in broad daylight.
“It is very painful for us since the IDPs we are hosting abuse our hospitality. They invade our farms, force us to harvest and carry away the produce,” an unhappy Kihundu says.
Kihundu estimates that this year he had more than enough food on his farm for his entire family to sell. The crops ranged from potatoes, cassava, bananas and beans. However, he was forced to harvest his crops at gunpoint by men who carried away the produce. He said any resistance was out of question as he has witnessed people killed for defying instructions from armed men.
Forced to Flee
In 1996, armed men attacked Kihundu’s village in the night and he and his family were forced to hide overnight before fleeing about 120 kilometres away to Kirumba region in the morning.
He described the journey though Kirumba as a difficult one, carrying the children on their backs as they passed through Virunga forest, which is infested with lions, elephants, deadly snakes and leopards. He attributed their safe travel through the forest to God’s love. In spite of the fact that they slept in the open, they were not attacked by any wild animals.
“We lived a very difficult life as IDPs in Kirumba. We had fled in haste, did not carry any clothing, had no food or shelter,” he said.
“There were a huge number of IDPs concentrated in Kirumba. Over ten thousand desperate people from Kiwanja stayed in the area for about a year, before we decided to return to our farms, fertile land and home in Kiwanja,” he said.
Returning Home and Starting Over
Kihundu and the other villagers returned to empty homes, since all the property left behind had been carried away by their attackers.
But they still managed to rebuild their lives, land and lived well until 2004, when the current conflict began.
At the time of this story, Kihundu was in Goma, visiting his brother. In spite of the robbery and danger in Kiwanja, Kihundu said he did not plan on moving. However, upon traveling back to Kiwanja, he was forced to flee after heavy fighting broke out between government forces and rebels. His brother says Paluku’s whereabouts are unknown and he may be somewhere among other IDPs who have fled on foot.
Read about the crisis of rape affecting displaced women in DRC.
You can help by donating to relief efforts in the DRC.
