Countless journalists have been arbitrarily arrested, kidnapped, or have disappeared in the fog of the protracted war tearing the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo apart. The renewed M23 offensive augurs a more uncertain future for these 'soldiers of the pen’.

When journalist Serge Bisimwa, 42, woke up on January 18 to the news that the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels had launched a new offensive in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, he immediately felt apprehensive about the safety of his peers in the region.

Having spent 20 years reporting on the conflict in the volatile region, Bisimwa, who now lives and works in Canada, couldn't help thinking about what this new offensive would entail: more threats, more suffering, and more censorship.

“The challenge facing journalists in this war-torn region is unique—it is not simply a question of security, as is often the case in other conflict zones such as Sudan, Ukraine or Gaza,” Bisimwa tells AJR in an email.

“Journalists in the DRC navigate an environment where front lines are blurred, alliances are shifting, and local authorities are often hostile or corrupt. Access to information is hampered by military controls and constant pressure from armed groups and the government,” he said.

Bisimwa’s fears have been vindicated.

I was [once] arrested twice, and forced to sign an engagement with M23. Their spokesperson told me, 'You have been banning your journalists from working with the M23. You have to work with us; else, leave this zone, which we control.’ They took photos and videos of me without my consent”

Many journalists have been caught in the crossfire of the ongoing conflict in the DRC. While a few have succeeded in relocating to safer areas, many lack the means to do so.

MKJ, director of a radio station found in the rebel-controlled town of Rutshuru in the North Kivu province, says he still feels unsafe in Kiwanja after fleeing the M23 onslaught on Goma, the capital of North Kivu province hosting more than 2 million people.

“I now work in fear, uncertainty, and disgust,” said MKJ, who has lost two relatives to the conflict.

“I face the risk of arrest, intimidation and questioning. I was [once] arrested twice, and forced to sign an engagement with M23. Their spokesperson told me, 'You have been banning your journalists from working with the M23. You have to work with us; else, leave this zone, which we control.’ They took photos and videos of me without my consent,” he said.

Decade-Old Conflict Context

The M23, a Tutsi-led group—whose name stands for the March 23 Movement—re-emerged from dormancy in November 2021, accusing the DRC of ignoring a promise to integrate its fighters into the army. It subsequently won a string of victories over state forces, seizing swathes of territory in North Kivu province and nearing Goma.

The DRC accuses its smaller neighbour, Rwanda, of backing the group, a charge supported by independent UN experts as well as the United States and other western countries, but denied by Kigali.

Failed attempts to secure past ceasefires have allowed fighting to continue unabated between M23 and government troops in a region already blemished by the presence of more than 100 armed groups with different objectives and rationales.

While the M23’s objective is deeply political, others only operate as amorphous criminals who are out to engage in the pillaging of mineral resources, particularly in areas where the presence of government is least felt.

The roots of the conflict trace back to the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, which saw nearly a million people killed in 100 days.

Genocidaires and victims have both fled Rwanda at different times, leading to large refugee populations inhabiting eastern DRC. These refugee populations reacted to a lack of strong governance in this remote section of the DRC by building militias.

At least six million people have died in the ongoing conflict in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 1996, making it one of the deadliest conflicts in world history. Over five million Congolese have been displaced, engendering a cycle of poverty and militarization.

It takes a lot of maneuvering to avoid being arrested or kidnapped by armed men. I am eager to leave this zone because anything can happen to me. I'm even considering temporarily quitting the profession because of the fragile security situation. There are no adequate protection measures.

Journalists Caught in the Web of Kidnapping, Disappearances

Countless journalists have been arbitrarily arrested, kidnapped, or disappeared in the fog of the three-decade war tearing the DRC apart. Eugene Amani, a Congolese journalist working with Panier des Infos, a local online news outfit, and Sauti ya wahami, a news bulletin run by displaced journalists for displaced people in the country, vividly recalls two cases.

“The director of "La Voix de Mikeno" (a community radio station in Bunagana, found some 100 from Goma) disappeared on February 23, 2023, under unclear circumstances. He has never been heard of since, and no one knows if he is dead or alive,” Amani tells AJR.

“Another colleague from a local radio station in Rutshuru who relocated to Goma was arrested by the intelligence services of the Congolese government. She was only released two weeks later after being accused of conniving with the M23,” he said. These two instances made Amani feel unsafe, forcing him to be more careful in his coverage of the news.

“It takes a lot of maneuvering to avoid being arrested or kidnapped by armed men,” he says. “I am eager to leave this zone because anything can happen to me. I'm even considering temporarily quitting the profession because of the fragile security situation. There are no adequate protection measures.”

Journalist Bisimwa says high security risks pushed him to leave the DRC given that journalists in eastern DRC go through physical danger, psychological pressure, and ethical challenges to be able to report facts. In this regard, every story embodies the “immense courage” and an “unwavering commitment” to truth and justice, he says.

“Their work is marked by shocking discoveries, daily resistance to dangers, and a constant struggle to obtain and report the truth. Every day, going on a reporting trip means facing a certain amount of fear and uncertainty: The threat of being attacked by M23 rebels or of being caught in the crossfire is omnipresent,” Bisimwa says. “However, this fear is tempered by a sense of duty and responsibility towards the victims of the conflict and the need to raise their voices internationally. Resilience and courage are essential qualities to persevere in this hostile environment.”

Both sides of the conflict in the DRC have often put pressure on journalists, accusing them of supporting the other side... This situation makes the work of journalists extremely complex and dangerous, thus requiring rigorous professional ethics and a delicate balance to remain objective, impartial, and alive.

Accused of Supporting the Other Side

As is often the case in most conflicts around the world, both sides of the conflict in the DRC have often put pressure on journalists, accusing them of bias towards the other.

Bisimwa explains that such pressures are often intense and life-threatening for reporters, as accusations of supporting the other side sometimes may lead to arrests, violence, and intimidation. “This situation makes the work of journalists extremely complex and dangerous, thus requiring rigorous professional ethics and a delicate balance to remain objective, impartial, and alive,” he says.

Journalists covering the conflict in eastern DRC find themselves in a difficult position. While they are prohibited from disseminating M23-related content by the government, the M23 rebels ban them from relaying any information that favours the government.

However, this media crackdown benefits neither side, asserts Josaphat Musamba, a Congolese doctoral researcher at Ghent University (Belgium) based in the eastern DRC city of Bukavu.

“One or two years ago, M23/Congolese Revolutionary Army spokesperson Mr. Lawrence Kanyuka banned radio stations in Rutshuru while Kinshasa prohibited local radio stations from giving voice to the rebels,” Musamba tells AJR.

Journalists covering the conflict in eastern DRC are in a fix: while they are prohibited from disseminating M23-related content by the government, the M23 rebels ban them from relaying any information that favours the government.

“The seriousness of the phenomenon is that, sometimes, listeners are manipulated by government or rebel propaganda, which often gives room to disinformation. The journalist loses his independence,” he said.

While working in eastern DRC, journalist Bisimwa led an initiative dubbed Media for Dialogue, the brainchild of the Jewish humanitarian organisation La Benevolencija. He then developed the emergency project to help journalists in North Kivu displaced by the war produce news content. He says the initiative contributed greatly to consolidating peace and fighting disinformation and hate speech.

“The emergency support project provided an essential platform for documenting and reporting the realities of the conflict,” Bisimwa tells AJR.

“This project not only maintained a flow of vital information but also raised international awareness of atrocities in the region. By providing resources and necessary support, it enabled war-displaced journalists to continue working despite forced displacement.”