Kinshasa – “We want the voices of the residents in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to be heard in the peace negotiations,” lawyer Néné Bintu Iragi, president of the civil society of South Kivu and coordinator of the “Maman Congo” collective, which unites displaced women, as well as a member of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Diocese of Bukavu, told Fides.
Bukavu, the capital of the Congolese province of South Kivu, was captured on February 16 by the M23 rebels with the support of Rwandan troops . Previously, in January, Goma, the capital of North Kivu, had also fallen into the hands of the M23 . Since then, there have been peace agreements, such as the agreement signed on June 27 in Washington, under American auspices, between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, and the agreement in principle signed on July 19 in Doha, Qatar, between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 Movement . The latter was intended to lead to a final settlement, but some obstacles remain.
In an interview with Fides, Néné Bintu Iragi discusses the situation in the provinces of North and South Kivu and the prospects for peace in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
You cannot return to Bukavu. Why?
When the rebels entered Bukavu, I was in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for a meeting on the peace process that had begun in Nairobi and Luanda. I was there as a spokesperson for the people of South Kivu to reaffirm their continued belief in the path to peace that had been embarked upon. Unfortunately, things turned out differently. Even before my departure for Tanzania on February 6th, threats against representatives of local civil society had surfaced on social media. On my return journey home, while in Bujumbura, Burundi, I learned of the fall of Bukavu. I couldn’t return there because, during the M23 attack, the Bukavu prisons had been emptied of their inmates. Among them were individuals whose convictions I had helped bring to justice. These are dangerous bandits who robbed and often killed travelers on National Highways 2 and 5.
Where are you currently located, and how are you continuing your work to raise awareness about the tragedy in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo?
I was forced to settle in Uvira, which is still under government control. From there, I maintain contact with the areas controlled by the M23 to document the acts of violence perpetrated against the civilian population by both the guerrillas and the pro-government paramilitaries, the so-called “Wazalendo.” Some of my colleagues are threatened by the latter because we denounce human rights violations, regardless of who commits them.
As civil society, we find ourselves caught in the crossfire between the various parties to the conflict because we refuse to take sides and emphasize our neutrality.
Our reports show that the humanitarian situation is catastrophic. In Goma alone, 3,000 women were raped during the days of the conquest, while in the week following the city’s fall, approximately 10,000 people died. This is despite the fact that the troops of the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo are still present in the region.
How great are the hopes for peace?
Our hope for peace rests on UN Security Council Resolution 2773, adopted on February 21, 2025, which calls for a cessation of hostilities, the immediate withdrawal of the Rwandan army and the M23, and the protection of civilians.
The peace process initiated by US President Trump speaks of nothing but the Congolese victims. Furthermore, neither the Senate nor the National Assembly participated in the signing of the agreement in Washington on June 27. We were prepared to accept all of this in order to achieve peace, but on the day of the signing, the killing of civilians continued unpunished 15 km from Bukavu.
As for the other mediator, Qatar, it has made investments in both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. In particular, the Rwandan gold refinery, which uses the mineral plundered in Congo, was built with Qatari funds, and the Rwandan airline is owned by Doha. This state is therefore not a neutral mediator, as it has interests to protect in both countries.
We want an inclusive agreement that takes into account the Congolese population, but also all other parties involved in the conflict in eastern DRC, including Burundi and Uganda.
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