'We are Still Here': Congolese in the Camps are Fearful of Home

Posted: 21 February 2007

by Jane Beesley

The DRC is at a critical point in its history: new government structures are still fragile and without continuing support the country could slide back into conflict and chaos.

In January, Oxfam's Jane Beesley visited Mbau camp in North Kivu, a far eastern section of the Democratic Republic of the Congo where a conflict that started in 1998 has left four million people dead. She had gone to look for some of the people she had met there on an earlier visit in 2004, and learned that most of them had managed to return to their homes. But many others had not. Here is Beesley's account of what is keeping displaced people trapped where they are.

It's good to know that many people have been able to return home after fleeing from the conflict in the DRC. And it's easy to think that the emergency is now over and the world can move on, especially when there are other serious emergencies that need the international community's attention.

But the DRC is at a critical point in its history. Despite the recent successful elections, new government structures are still fragile. Without continuing support, there is a risk that the DRC could slide back into conflict and chaos. Oxfam hopes that United Nations member states will not abandon the millions of Congolese who voted for peace and stability.

And as Michel, in Mbau camp, makes painfully clear, thousands of people still have no place safe to go—except for the camps.

"We are still here," he said, one of many keen to explain why they can't return to their villages. Time and again they give the same reasons: Home is not safe and there is no way to shelter and support a family there.

Areas of Insecurity

"It's difficult for me to go there (home) because of continued fighting," said one camp resident, Celestin. "Some people have tried to go back but they were killed. So now we are too frightened to go back, even though we are very unhappy living here in these conditions."

At home, Celestin and his neighbors had their own fields where they were able to grow palms. Here, in the camp, they have nothing, he said. Even so, home is too dangerous a place to be.

"There is no way we can go back to our villages," he said.

It's not just the insecurity that is keeping people away: They have nothing to return to if they do go back.

"We don't have a house. We don't have anything," said Michel, adding that there is no food available and no way to make a living. "You can see we have children. What would we give them? What home would there be for these children?"

And as bad as the conditions are in the camp, they are better than home.

"Look, you can see where we are living now. It's not good. The roofs are collapsing, the walls are bad, but we don't even have this to return to," Michel said. "We're sleeping on banana leaves, and when it rains the roof leaks, but it's more than we have back home.'

Difficult Camp Conditions

Michel's shelter is not the only one in poor repair. Everywhere, the shelters are deteriorating and holes are starting to appear in the plastic sheeting.

"When it rains we can't sleep on the floor," said Sikakali, pointing at the holes in her roof. "We have to sleep standing up against the wall."

In the camp people don't have their own land to farm, and there are few other options for making a living. Some people hire themselves out for daily work. Toiling in other people's fields--for food not cash--is the most common activity.

"We go to work for other people and we only receive food not money," said Manzala. "To get money we have to go into the fields and search for wood, which we sell, then we can buy soap. It's the only way we can afford to buy soap, or we sell palm nuts."

Sikakali works hard for the little bit of cash she is able to pocket by selling the nuts.

"For one kilo of palm nuts I get 50 Congolese francs," she said. "In a week I can collect about six kilos, which would mean 300 Congolese francs." But the money—540 Congolese francs equals $1—doesn't go far. It's only enough to buy her a small piece of soap or some salt.

Those who have no choice but to stay at Mbau need help, said Ngabu Norbert.

"One, the houses need to be repaired: You can see the poor condition they are in. Two, we need to be able to sleep well. Three, we need cooking utensils. Four, we need more food if we are going to be strong enough to work in the fields, and five, we need medical assistance, because we have no money to pay for medicines," he said. "Oh, and water. We only have one water source and the latrines are not enough."