Breaking the Cycle of Violence: Ex-Combatants Find New Hope in the Democratic Republic of Congo
In the scorching sun of the Tsere community in the Ituri province, a sense of hope and renewal fills the air. Samuel, a former combatant in his thirties, watches with a discreet smile as twenty cows graze in a lush enclosure. This is more than just a livestock farm – it’s a symbol of stability and a break from the violent past that has haunted the region for decades. Samuel is one of sixteen ex-combatants and thirty-two at-risk youths benefiting from a project led by the National Program for Disarmament, Demobilization, Community Recovery, and Stabilization (PDDRC-S) and MONUSCO, aimed at easing the return to civilian life and social reintegration.
The project has provided the beneficiaries with twenty-five cows, pastures, tools, technical support, psychosocial support, and training in income-generating activities. For Samuel, this is a chance to start anew and leave behind the painful memories of his time in an armed group. "I joined because my community had been abandoned," he explains. "I took up arms to defend myself, to protect my people." However, after a few months, Samuel became disillusioned with the violence and realized that it was not the solution to his community’s problems.
The turning point came when the provincial government of Ituri, with MONUSCO’s support, organized a dialogue with the main armed groups operating in the region. The dialogue led to a memorandum of understanding, where the armed groups committed to ending hostilities and working towards peace, security, and social cohesion. Samuel was moved by this message and seized the opportunity for a new life. "I was reached out to by MONUSCO teams during the peace talks in Aru," he says. "They spoke to us about reintegration, reconciliation, work, and returning to our families. I listened, I thought, and I understood that another path was possible."
Since the dialogue, over a thousand combatants have surrendered their weapons, and Samuel has personally convinced around ten young people to lay down their arms and explore a different way. The project has not only provided material support but has also helped to build a sense of community and social cohesion. The head of the community, representing the Bahema chiefdom, praises the project, saying, "This project was designed with the communities, based on their realities. We are grateful to PDDRC-S and MONUSCO. Above all, we salute the courage of the demobilized youth. To those still in the bush, we say: come back. The community is ready to welcome you."
The United Nations, through MONUSCO, has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Congolese government’s peace efforts. Khaled Ibrahim, head of MONUSCO’s DDR-S section, commended the beneficiaries for their courage in choosing peace and pledged to continue supporting the government and the PDDRC-S in their efforts to bring peace and stability to the DRC. As Samuel says, "I’ve known war. Now I want to know peace – not just for me, but for my children, my family, my village." The project is a beacon of hope for a region that has been plagued by violence for too long, and it shows that it is possible to break the cycle of violence and build a more peaceful and stable future.
