DR Congo: Over 3 Million Displaced People Return Home Amid Fragile Peace

Edited By: Aminata Diallo

Since January, over three million internally displaced persons have returned to their residences in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Approximately two million returnees are reported in North Kivu and over 600,000 in South Kivu. This movement is linked to a decrease in violence following the peace agreement signed between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda in Washington at the end of June.

However, fighting between the Congolese army and the M23 rebel group resumed recently in North and South Kivu. These developments coincide with ongoing negotiations for a durable ceasefire, facilitated by Qatar, between Kinshasa and the rebel group.

Despite the returns, the humanitarian situation remains challenging, with over 27 million people facing food insecurity in the country.