DR Congo: Long Term Assistance Key to Stability in N. Kivu
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Kirolirwe is a village situated in the mountains a few hours north of Goma, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a beautiful place, reminiscent of the Swiss Alps, with houses clinging to cliffs and cows balancing precariously on the steep hills. It is also currently home to several thousand internally displaced people who have sought refuge in an area controlled by the renegade forces of Laurent Nkunda.
Last week I visited Kirolirwe with my colleague Mpako. We are on mission in the eastern province of North Kivu, where fighting between various armed groups, including the Congolese military, has led to the displacement of more than half a million people.
Access for humanitarian organizations to many displaced communities in North Kivu remains difficult not only because of ongoing fighting but also because of the poor conditions of the roads. The road from Goma to Kirolirwe is steep and winding in parts, and with the recent rains quite muddy. At one point our 4x4 slipped into a ditch on the path up to the site where the displaced are living. Thankfully several local people came to dig us out and helped to push the car free.
The displaced people in Kirolirwe have been living in huts that they built out of mud since last fall when they fled fighting in their villages. At the moment, their basic needs are being met -- agencies have distributed food and plastic sheeting, and latrines have been built on the site. They are also often able to work in local fields in exchange for some food or money to supplement the assistance they receive. UN peacekeepers from the nearby base patrol often, and the displaced told us that they do not feel threatened by the presence of the Nkunda's troops.
What is needed now for these people, and for the displaced in many other parts of North Kivu we visited, is support for longer-term activities, particularly education. Although extra classrooms were built by an international organization for the local school in Kirolirwe in order to absorb the newly arrived children, two mothers I spoke with told me that their children are now being chased away because they cannot pay the school fees, even though education for the displaced is supposed to be free (the school fees go to pay teachers who are not being paid by the state).
Access to education is vital for all displaced children in North Kivu. Children who are not in school are much more vulnerable to forced recruitment by armed groups like Nkunda's; we saw many of his soldiers in Kirolirwe who looked much younger than 18. Going to school despite being displaced from their homes also allows children to maintain their sense of dignity and purpose.
All of the displaced we met with in North Kivu want to return home as soon as possible. Many are hopeful that the recent Goma Peace Conference will bear fruit and that the ceasefire between all armed groups will hold. But lasting peace and stability in North Kivu will not be immediate and it will take time for the conditions to be in place so that people can return home once again. What is needed now from the international community is not just lifesaving assistance, but also support for activities like education and livelihood programs in order to improve the conditions in which the displaced are forced to live.
Last week I visited Kirolirwe with my colleague Mpako. We are on mission in the eastern province of North Kivu, where fighting between various armed groups, including the Congolese military, has led to the displacement of more than half a million people.
Access for humanitarian organizations to many displaced communities in North Kivu remains difficult not only because of ongoing fighting but also because of the poor conditions of the roads. The road from Goma to Kirolirwe is steep and winding in parts, and with the recent rains quite muddy. At one point our 4x4 slipped into a ditch on the path up to the site where the displaced are living. Thankfully several local people came to dig us out and helped to push the car free.
The displaced people in Kirolirwe have been living in huts that they built out of mud since last fall when they fled fighting in their villages. At the moment, their basic needs are being met -- agencies have distributed food and plastic sheeting, and latrines have been built on the site. They are also often able to work in local fields in exchange for some food or money to supplement the assistance they receive. UN peacekeepers from the nearby base patrol often, and the displaced told us that they do not feel threatened by the presence of the Nkunda's troops.
What is needed now for these people, and for the displaced in many other parts of North Kivu we visited, is support for longer-term activities, particularly education. Although extra classrooms were built by an international organization for the local school in Kirolirwe in order to absorb the newly arrived children, two mothers I spoke with told me that their children are now being chased away because they cannot pay the school fees, even though education for the displaced is supposed to be free (the school fees go to pay teachers who are not being paid by the state).
Access to education is vital for all displaced children in North Kivu. Children who are not in school are much more vulnerable to forced recruitment by armed groups like Nkunda's; we saw many of his soldiers in Kirolirwe who looked much younger than 18. Going to school despite being displaced from their homes also allows children to maintain their sense of dignity and purpose.
All of the displaced we met with in North Kivu want to return home as soon as possible. Many are hopeful that the recent Goma Peace Conference will bear fruit and that the ceasefire between all armed groups will hold. But lasting peace and stability in North Kivu will not be immediate and it will take time for the conditions to be in place so that people can return home once again. What is needed now from the international community is not just lifesaving assistance, but also support for activities like education and livelihood programs in order to improve the conditions in which the displaced are forced to live.
--Camilla Olson
Labels: Democratic Republic of Congo
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