Kenyans, activists express solidarity with DRC citizens, call for an end to conflict

Displaced civilians flee the fight between M23 rebels and DRC’s armed forces in Goma. (Photo: REUTERS/Aubin Mukoni)

By Mary Wambui
Friday, March 28, 2025

At an event organised by Amnesty International, experts from Human Rights Watch, and other organisations exposed the dire situation, calling for more action to highlight the plight of the affected population.

A group of human rights defenders, Kenyans, and media practitioners have pledged to speak out against human rights abuses taking place in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in solidarity with the Congolese population, which has suffered decades of conflict.

This comes in recognition of the deteriorating security situation in the region, which has left hundreds of thousands vulnerable and in need of basic necessities that have become scarce due to the closure of the region's two main airports in Goma and Bukavu. The airports are currently under the control of the M23 armed group.

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At an event organised by Amnesty International, experts from Human Rights Watch, and other organisations exposed the dire situation, calling for more action to highlight the plight of the affected population, especially at a time when several neighbouring states are on the brink of war.

Jean Mobert Senga, a DRC researcher for Amnesty International, noted that the crisis in eastern DRC is largely a result of state neglect and the failure to ensure governance in the densely populated region.

"I'm from Goma in eastern DRC, but for me to get a passport, I need to travel all the way to Kinshasa. It's 13,000 km away. We haven't had IDs for the last 40 years; we haven't had driving licences for the last five or seven years. So tell me, how do you ensure order on the roads if people do not have driving licences? Just something as simple as that. To me, the root cause of everything happening in DRC is the state," he argued.

These sentiments were echoed by Clémentine de Montjoye from Human Rights Watch, who pointed out that the cyclical crisis in eastern DRC is a consequence of the Congolese state's failures.

For instance, she noted that there is fatigue from multiple interventions using the same approach in an attempt to restore peace, yet these efforts never progress to the justice phase.

"One of the things that justice is meant to bring about is a guarantee that there is no repetition," Montjoye emphasised.

State neglect has also been cited as a factor contributing to the weakened state of local security agencies.

However, seemingly in response to the concerns raised, the DRC government announced on Friday morning that it is doubling the salaries of local army and police officers.

"As of today, every soldier and police officer will receive double their previous month's pay in their bank account. This measure will take effect this Friday, 28 March 2025," a press statement from the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) reads.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) Chief Bentley Keita warned the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that the M23 now seeks to expand its influence into Tshopo and Maniema provinces.

She reiterated the urgent need for the warring parties to engage in an unconditional ceasefire.