North Kivu province in DRC has witnessed the prevalence of rebel groups such as the Allied Defense Forces (ADF) that have subjected civilians to widespread rape and sexual violence, massive human rights violations, mass killings and extreme poverty; thus posing a threat to peaceful co-existence and sustainable development. Continued violence in the country also poses a threat of spill over into Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda.
FECCLAHA, under her Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs) programme continues to engage different stakeholders to address the reduction of illicit firearms through trainings and advocacy initiatives in collaboration with her member, the Church of Christ in Congo (ECC) and Organization of Young Christians for Development (OJCD), a youth peace organization in Bukavu-DRC formed in the year 2011 following training by FECCLAHA.
Through OJCD media advocacy campaigns on the reduction and trainings on the impacts of illegal SALWs on peaceful co-existence, some youth such as Yves Malinda have surrendered their illicit weapons to the authorities and chose to preach peace. Malinda was among five youth who left Mai Mai Cheka, one of the rebel groups in Masisi territory, North Kivu Province- DRC. He recalls that from their militia hideout in the Congo forest he heard the messages from Radio Paul FM, where one of the OJCD members (Madam Aimee Balibuno) delivered such messages. “I would like to urge those who are still in the forest to come out like I did, there is no life in the forest, the life of killing one another and discrimination is no life”, said Yves Malinda.
Malinda, now a barber at one of the barbershops in Goma, had previously joined other two militia groups in the North Kivu province/ territories of Walikale and Rutshuru and appreciates the numerous media sensitization and advocacy initiatives done by FECCLAHA, ECC and OJCD through radios such as Paul FM, Sauti ya Injili and Jesus Christ est Roi. Ms. Aimee Balibuno is one on the youth who had undergone a series of trainings on peacebuilding, mediation and conflict transformation and continues to use the knowledge to impact of her fellow youth as well as her community.
“Before the trainings by FECCLAHA on peacebuilding, we would find ourselves being inclined to either of the conflicting parties but now with this information we have learnt to be neutral in our mediation thereby not being implicated in any conflict, resolving it amicably”, said Aimee.
FECCLAHA has learnt that illicit SALWs remain a key contributor to armed conflicts and there is also a need to provide alternative source of livelihoods to such people as Malinda without which there may be temptations to go back to previous lifestyles. Additionally, FECCLAHA has also learnt that the media is a powerful ally in advocacy; there is need to engage all stakeholders in a bid to address the matter amicably.
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