Fatshimetrie, July 23, 2024 – In recent days, alarming news has shaken the Masisi region, in North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Tension is at its height following reports of forced recruitment of young Congolese from the Bahunde chiefdom to fight alongside the M23 rebels, who act as auxiliaries of the Rwandan army. This sad reality was revealed by local sources, thus placing these young people in a very worrying situation.
According to information gathered, hundreds of young people were forcibly taken to unknown destinations aboard trucks towards Rubaya, Ngungu and Karuba in Masisi territory, where they were allegedly enlisted by the Rwandan army under the cover of M23. A civil society witness from the Bahunde chiefdom, Léopold Mwisha Busanga, testified to the confusion reigning in the region, while the local population remains uncertain about the fate of these missing young people.
In addition to these forced recruitments, other reports indicate growing fear among young bikers in the region, who have abandoned their activities for fear of being taken by force by the M23 rebels. The latter call them to participate in meetings with unknown content, leaving a climate of terror and uncertainty over the local population.
Faced with this worrying situation, civil society in Bahunde launched an appeal to the population to denounce these inhumane practices and to defy the fear that reigns in the region. The violation of the humanitarian truce by the M23-RDF was an opportunity for these rebels to launch deadly attacks on the positions of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) in the territory of Masisi, thus causing losses in human lives on July 10, 2024.
This situation highlights the urgency of international action to end the suffering of the local population and to protect the fundamental rights of these young Congolese who are used in armed conflicts against their will. It is essential that the international community act quickly to guarantee the security and well-being of the civilian population in this region already affected by violence and armed conflict.