Former militia members seek peace and reintegration in DRC

In Ituri, Democratic Republic of Congo, the war has left deep scars. But amid the ruins, a glimmer of hope is emerging. Hundreds of former militiamen, after years of violence, have laid down their arms and are attempting to reintegrate into civilian life.

Léonie Safari, 20, has known hell. A former combatant of CODECO, an armed group active in the Ituri conflict, she joined the rebellion in 2020 after her parents’ death, seeking revenge.

“It was the hardships of life that pushed me to join. I didn’t need to go into the bush, but I lost my parents, and poverty drove me there. Later, I decided to leave the rebellion to promote peace in our country,” says Léonie Safari, a former rebel with CODECO.

In this village of Dionga, these ex-militiamen, once terrorizing the population, have now committed themselves to community development, offering a ray of hope to a devastated community.

“I’ve laid down my arms. Today, I’m here in this community, and since I’ve been here, there’s been no work. What you see me doing is the first job I’ve been given, working on the road to earn a small amount that will help us, because life is becoming harder and harder,” states Sumaili Irachani, a former member of the FPIC.

At least six armed groups have already laid down their arms and chosen the path of reintegration, yet they claim to feel “abandoned by the government.”

“There are these young Congolese who have this patriotic spirit, who left everything they were doing to join the path of truth, peace, and rebuilding the country,” says Pacard Luhavo from the PDDRC-S program.

Since 2021, North Kivu and Ituri have been under a state of siege declared by President Félix Tshisekedi to combat armed groups. Three years later, peace remains elusive, and civil society fears the violence may flare up again.