** Masisi-center: When the Congo War compromises humanitarian aid **
On February 20, 2023, a tragic incident again highlighted a growing problem: the safety of humanitarian workers in conflict zones. While violence rages in the North Kivu region, where clashes between armed groups continue to wreak havoc, doctors without borders (MSF) announced that one of its employees was seriously injured in shots targeting its base at Masisi-Center. This news item illustrates an alarming reality, that of humanitarian protection undermined by persistent and devastating hostilities.
** Vulnerability accentuated by the frequency of conflicts **
Masisi-center, a locality historically affected by inter-community violence and power struggles, today seems to be the scene of an endless cycle of violence. In January 2023, the UN had reported an intensification of conflicts in the region, where clashes between the VDP/Wazalendo, kinship in the Congolese army, and Lem23/AFC are almost daily. These tensions, exacerbated by political interests and ethnic rivalries, create an environment conducive to the escalation of violence. Indeed, according to the latest reports of International Crisis Group, the province of North Kivu remains one of the most unstable in the world, marked by a massive displacement of populations and an exacerbated humanitarian crisis.
In this regard, the report of the Observatory of Human Rights in Central Africa reveals that more than 5 million people are forced to flee their home in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the majority taking refuge in areas where assistance humanitarian aid becomes more and more difficult to provide. The attack on MSF humanitarian workers is part of a tragic scheme where workers are often targeted, thus compromising their saving mission.
** The paradox of humanitarian aid in the conflict zone **
From a sociological point of view, the case of MSF to Masisi-Center raises essential questions on the very nature of humanitarian aid today. In a context where humanitarian workers are supposed to act as shields for the most vulnerable populations, how is they that they themselves have become victims? In theory, international humanitarian law provides protection for assistance actors, considered “civilians” in the midst of conflicts. However, reality on the ground is very different. Statistics indicate that the violence targeting humanitarian workers have quadrupled in recent years, reaching an alarming level.
Stephan Goetghebuer, head of MSF programs in North Kivu, rightly evokes the impunity enjoyed by the belligerents. The latter seem not only to ignore, but also to despise the international legislative framework which protects the innocents. The denial of humanitarian protection underlines a disturbing dynamic: that where the suffering of the populations is politicized, where military and strategic issues take precedence over human life. Efforts to set up humanitarian corridors and guarantee the security of humanitarian aid is regularly thwarted by influence games and political decisions.
** A collective reflection on the helplessness of the international community **
This last incident at Masisi-Center cannot be analyzed in a bubble; It is a reflection of a complex mosaic of political, social and economic failures. Beyond the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the international community has to face its own paradoxes. Despite billions of dollars invested in humanitarian aid and development, why does the impact on the field seem so limited?
The reports of doctors without borders, and other NGOs, are often at the forefront to report rights and security attacks, but if these alerts do not lead to concrete actions, what can we hope? A collective approach, implying not only the states concerned, but also the supranational entities such as the UN, is necessary to guarantee the safety of humanitarian workers and their beneficiaries.
** Conclusion: a humanity in play **
The tragic case of MSF employee in Masisi-Center and the young injured refugee recalls that behind each figure or report, there are lives. As conflicts continue to splash humanitarian efforts, the need for a robust response encouraging the protection of humanitarian actors has never been so crucial. It is imperative that the international community returns to its foundations, undertakes to respect not only humanitarian law, but also to humanize politicians, so as not to make humanitarian workers with additional suffers and victims of conflicts which should never involve.