A week after the March 23 movement (M23), and the Congolese army in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the rubber city tries to recover an appearance of normality. Although, everyday life is still chaos. Among the restrictions, forced displacement and insecurity, each one adapts to an unstable and unpredictable situation. While some suffer from the devastating coup of violence, others suffer the consequences of restrictions and, paradoxically, some find opportunities in the middle of the disaster. On the one hand, security seems to have improved thanks to the reinforcement of military presence. On the other, the lack of access to the Internet, the rise in prices and uncertainty make a dent in the population.
Sexual violence, in addition, stalks women fleeing the conflict. A family with six girls has the tragedy they have lived. “It was a Wednesday, around three in the afternoon, when the fighting intensified,” says Nadine while crying, “we heard the main door of the house open and, in a minute, armed men entered my room. The next day I woke up at the hospital. We decided to leave the city to avoid the worst. ”
The rubber taking by the M23 is a milestone in. The armed group, which has in the tutsis militias that fight the Hutus groups, has left hundreds of dead and a new forced displacement in the region. In its offensive, the militia has been made with the control of rich areas in. Although the United Nations estimates that there are about 900 deaths, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo said on Tuesday that “there are more than 2,000 corpses to bury.” That without counting the victims that may be in common graves.
The war has changed the panorama in rubber, but its inhabitants try to adapt as they can. In the center of the city, it is easy to see some people in motorcycles and cars. Some try to stock up on food while others cross the border, fleeing horror.
In the border posts of the Small barrier (Small barrier) and the Large barrier (Great barrier) There are great agglomerations. There are many people who come and go between rubber and Gisenyi (Rwanda), thanks to more flexible border crossing procedures. Freddy, motorcycle taxi driver, is glad of this change. “Before you needed a passport to go to Gisenyi. Now, if you have a voter card, you can spend without problems. For those who have family on the other side, it is a great relief, ”he says.
For Rebecca, computer student, this ease of passage has become a need. “With the Internet cut into rubber, we are forced to go to Rwanda to work. Fortunately, it is now simpler, ”he says. But, by that same border, there has been a massive displacement of people who leave rubber for fear of reprisals from the Congolese army.
Paradoxically, in the alleyways of the Virunga district, there is some sense of security. Albertine, a 40 -year -old merchant, reaches her positions under an impromptu canvas, taking advantage of the fact that commercial life resumes shyly. “Before the war, there were too many bandits in the neighborhoods. With military reinforcement, crime has decreased, especially at night. Now we can return home to the market without so much fear of thieves, ”says Albertine.
This feeling is shared by Dorcas, mother of three children, who feels that a relief after the fear he has lived daily. “Since the M23 is more present, we sleep better. Before, we heard about kidnappings almost every week. It is now less frequent, ”says the woman.
Collapsed communications
The lack of the Internet is another of the most serious consequences for the population. Along the Kanyamuhanga boulevard, closed cybercafés remember the impact of this restriction on the local economy. Dieudonne, an independent journalist, has had problems working. “Without connection, it is impossible to send my articles to the writings. Many young entrepreneurs living in digital technology are focused on unemployment, ”he says helplessly.
Students have also been affected. Claude, 24, is forced to cross the border every day to try to connect. “We can no longer investigate online, do distance courses or even communicate with our loved ones abroad,” he says.
Meanwhile, in the central rubber market, customers are scarce. Prices have doubled in a few days. Assani, a rice and flour seller, sighs while showing her exhausted stocks. “A sack of cornmeal cost $ 18 before the war. Today it costs 30 dollars. Families eat less, some only once a day, ”he says.
Transporters have not fought either. Aimé, a motorcyclist, complains about the increase in the price of fuel. “It is more expensive, so the cost of transporting on a motorcycle has risen. Many people prefer to walk to save money, ”he explains.
An indelible trauma
Beyond material difficulties, the psychological shock is the one that has left the greatest mark on people’s minds. “We do not even have the courage to talk about the situation we have lived, because it is a traumatic event,” says Genéros Musavuli, a rubber neighbor. “To this day, the sounds of strong blows and bullets continue to cloud my ears. On Wednesday, December 28, when I woke up, I discovered that a bullet had gone through the roof and drilled the roof of the balcony of my room. Since then, I spend nights, thinking that another bullet could enter, ”he says.
Musavuli had to flee temporarily to Kigali (Rwanda) to look for some tranquility. “After a few days in Kigali, I feel a bit released from all that mental burden. But trauma is huge and requires a lot of psychological support, ”he acknowledges.
