From Washington to South Kivu: a Call to Put Civilian Protection at the Heart of Peace
On 9 December, just days after the ratification in Washington of an agreement intended to ease tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, the AFC/M23 armed forces seized the city of Uvira. At the time of writing, AFC/M23 troops have announced a unilateral conditional withdrawal from Uvira, citing the need to give the Doha Peace process “maximum chance of succeeding” and to protect the local population. However, whatever the future governance of the city, recent developments capture a broader failure: while peace agreements are negotiated at the international level, the protection of civilians is not being prioritised on the ground, leaving people exposed to continued—and sometimes increased—harm.
Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) is active in South Kivu, particularly in its Kalehe territory, one of the areas most affected by the fighting between government forces and AFC/M23 troops, an armed group coalition. There, we work alongside communities to keep people safe by helping them detect and respond to threats early, prevent the spread of dangerous rumours and reducing violence locally.
What we are witnessing in the province today is unequivocal: the situation on the ground is deteriorating faster than the agreements intended to resolve it. For civilians, this means continued instability, repeated displacement, and exposure to violence despite repeated announcements of de-escalation.
A peace process detached from the reality of civilian life
Uvira, the province’s second-largest population centre after Bukavu, was reportedly emptied within hours as civilians, police officers, administrative staff, and soldiers fled in panic, leaving behind everything from homes, to schools, to livelihoods. While the takeover did not occur overnight, it underscored a missed opportunity to place the protection of civilians at the centre of political agendas and led to the further deterioration of civilian safety. Humanitarian actors had observed rising tensions and increased movement of armed actors, prompting increased safety and security measures in the days leading up to the fall. Despite current commitments made in both Washington and Doha peace agreements, armed groups had failed to put in place robust early warning systems and uphold their protection responsibilities. As a result, civilians were prevented from making informed decisions regarding their safety. Some may also have been falsely reassured by the recent signing of the Washington agreements, anticipating a de-escalation in violence and delaying protective action.
Instead, in communes such as Kamanyola, Luvungi, Katogota, and Uvira, communities report the same reality: mass displacements triggered by fighting and rumours of forced mobilisation, rising sexual violence, targeted abductions, and daily extortion at checkpoints by various armed groups. At the time of writing, there is also deep uncertainty over shifting control following the announced withdrawal of troops from Uvira. Civilians fear reprisals from whichever armed group asserts authority, and report the risk of arbitrary arrests, targeted kidnappings, killings, and torture based on accusations of complicity with rival forces.
In these areas, civilians feel neither consulted, protected, nor represented by ongoing diplomatic processes. In this regard, the peace process, currently conceived as a political or economic agreement between states, remains disconnected from reality as long as it fails to account for its immediate effects on villages, local armed dynamics, and community survival strategies.
A resident of Bukavu recently reminded us of this in a conversation, referring to economic agreements signed between the Congolese and US governments: “For decades, extractive deals have been made over our heads. Let them take our minerals to build their dreams if they wish, but they must not crush ours to do so.”
This statement captures the core of the current situation: “peace” as it is being written today in the Kivus carries no accountability for its impact on civilians. Infrastructure projects move forward, partnerships are announced, capitals applaud—but families continue to flee, bury their loved ones, or pay ransoms for abducted family members.
Peace must be local first
The initial capture of Uvira, the significant displacement to neighbouring Burundi, and the multiplication of conflict fronts make one thing clear: international agreements are insufficient if they do not translate into tangible improvements in local security and the lives of civilians. Many displaced communities, with little or no regular access to humanitarian assistance, rely primarily on their own networks of mutual aid and protection. In fact, in Kalehe, as elsewhere in South Kivu, civilians play a central role in limiting violence. Community networks verify rumours before they trigger mass flight, leaders negotiate access to fields, markets, and health centres, and women and youth intervene to defuse tensions before they are exploited by armed groups. These often-invisible efforts frequently constitute the last line of defence for civilians. Ignoring them in peace processes is tantamount to neglecting the primary protection of civilians.
In Uvira, civilians have also begun taking proactive steps to advocate for their own protection. On 16 December, a few dozen residents organised a peaceful march from Pont Mulangwe to the town hall in Kimanga, affirming their call for peace. As civilians across eastern DRC are demonstrating, communities themselves are critical actors in safeguarding lives.
At NP, our experience is clear: civilians cannot be protected by declarations or political agreements alone. Sustainable peace cannot be built without simultaneously investing in local protection capacities, and regional stability cannot be achieved while communities bear the human cost of conflict on their own. Peace must be local before it is diplomatic. It begins where civilians live—Kalehe, Uvira, Kamanyola, and many other communes—and must recognise their role, strategies, and immediate protection needs. Without this, any peace proclaimed from Washington or Doha will collapse the moment it reaches the hills of eastern DRC.