Situation Report: DR Congo - Daily Life Under M23 Rule in Rutshuru
Reports from Nyamilima, Kiwanja, and Budapfa show how land seizures, farming bans, and limited security gains are affecting civilians at the same time.
Key takeaways
- According to Human Rights Watch, more than 100 civilians were killed by M23 and allied Rwandan forces in Binza in July.
- Farming bans around Nyamilima are worsening food insecurity, and many households now eat only once a day.
- At the same time, residents in Kiwanja and Budapfa report fewer kidnappings and lower local taxes.
Violence against civilians
Residents of Nyamilima describe how M23 fighters shot farmers in the fields during operations against the FDLR. Burials are often banned, which further damages mourning and social stability. UN fact-finding reports speak of possible ethnic cleansing.
Detainees report abuse and a lack of medical care in makeshift detention centers. Access to relatives is blocked, and executions are used to intimidate anyone seen as an opponent.
Land grabs and economic pressure
In Kiwanja, M23 officers mark out land plots and have them farmed by tractor, pushing smallholders off their land. Even returnees who come back after earlier displacement find their fields blocked or transferred to M23-linked business people.
Bank branches were shut by the central government to cut off cash flows to the M23. As a result, very little cash circulates locally. People fall back on barter and promissory notes, which is freezing local markets.
An ambivalent security picture
Despite the repression, residents in Budapfa and parts of Kiwanja report fewer kidnappings and highway robberies. The M23 uses that relative calm to claim legitimacy and collect local taxes.
The charges collected, roughly 6,000 Congolese francs a month for small businesses, are lower than the old state tariffs. But it is unclear where the money goes, and public services do not improve.
Humanitarian implications
Farming bans, dry spells, and broken supply lines are worsening the nutrition crisis. Health centers are seeing more malnutrition and malaria, but medicines are missing. Many patients are trying to treat themselves with traditional herbs, often with fatal results.
For aid groups, M23 rule makes access much harder. Permits have to be negotiated with local commanders who can change their minds at any time. Bank closures also force NGOs to move cash under much higher security risk.
What partners should do
The priority is to protect nutrition programs with mobile teams that can operate near the front line. Cash programs should be converted into voucher systems to deal with the lack of bank liquidity. Local protection mechanisms such as community alert chains should be strengthened so abuses are reported earlier.
At the diplomatic level, Rwanda needs to be brought more strongly into verification mechanisms. UN and African Union monitoring should be expanded so documented M23 violations can be backed up and targeted sanctions prepared.