Congo Farmers Return to Rebel-Held Fields Amidst Displacement and Conflict

Displacement and Return in Eastern Congo

• 🏠 Onto Boba and his family fled their eastern Democratic Republic of Congo farmland in 2022 due to clashes between the army and M23 rebels.
• ⚡ Following an M23 advance, displaced Congolese were pressured to return, only to find their land occupied.
• 💰 Onto Boba had to pay for the rights to his harvest and borrow money to restart his farming.

Scale of Displacement and Return

• 📈 Fighting between the army and M23 has displaced 1.2 million people in North and South Kivu provinces since January.
• 🔄 Concurrently, approximately 1.8 million people have returned to their former homes.
• ⚠️ The UN agency notes that many returned because M23 dismantled displacement camps after seizing Goma.

Challenges Faced by Returning Farmers

• 🏚️ Many returnees found their homes destroyed by bombs and lacked seeds to replant their fields.
• 🆘 The population is struggling, with many stating they have to start from zero.
• ⚠️ The Norwegian Refugee Council highlighted the precarious situation, with limited aid and concerns that unresolved land disputes could lead to new tensions.