Land Disputes Deepen Tensions as Farmers Return to Rebel-Held Eastern Congo

Kibumba, Democratic Republic of Congo: Farmers returning to their land in eastern Congo after fleeing advances by M23 rebels are facing a painful discovery: their fields have been taken over by newcomers, including some alleged to be Rwandans.

The disputes add another layer of volatility to a war-battered region already critical to global supply chains, as it produces strategic minerals such as coltan, cobalt, copper, and lithium.

Rwanda and Congo signed a U.S.-brokered peace deal under former President Donald Trump’s administration in June, and peace talks between Kinshasa and M23 in Doha were expected to yield progress last month, though discussions have been delayed.

According to unpublished U.N. data reviewed by Reuters, hundreds of land dispute cases have been documented, prompting M23 to establish an “arbitration centre” to mediate conflicts.

“Land conflicts can always fuel violence if they are not properly addressed and if state structures are not sufficiently strong and equipped to manage them,” said Fred Bauma, head of Congolese research group Ebuteli. “As part of the Doha agreements, this issue will have to be addressed.”

Displaced Families Return to Find Strangers on Their Land

Abdu Djuma Burunga, 49, fled the fertile town of Kibumba three years ago at the onset of renewed M23 advances. When he returned this April, he found his home in ruins and his farmland occupied by strangers.

“They took our belongings and occupied our fields,” Burunga said, adding that the men spoke Kinyarwanda, socialised openly with M23 combatants, and crossed the nearby border freely.

Although Burunga appealed to rebel-appointed local officials, he was forced to wait four months before reclaiming his land, only after the newcomers harvested their crops.

In other cases, occupation has been acknowledged by those farming the land. “This field belongs to a Congolese citizen. I don’t even know his name,” said Mukumunana Penina, a Rwandan farmer. “I only occupied this field to survive. I came without encouragement from M23.”

Six displaced Congolese interviewed by Reuters said they encountered similar situations upon returning home. A U.N. refugee agency survey conducted in February and March found 200 families in Goma alone reported being unable to reclaim their farmland, often because it was occupied.

Rwanda’s Role Under Scrutiny

The presence of Rwandans in eastern Congo is particularly sensitive. A July U.N. report alleged Rwanda exercised command over M23 and sought to expand its territorial control. Kigali has consistently denied backing M23, though it admits to deploying troops in Congo, citing defence against Congolese forces and ethnic Hutu militias.

A senior M23 official rejected claims of systematic land seizures, stating that most newcomers were Congolese Tutsis who crossed into Rwanda after the 1994 genocide and had returned fearing Hutu militias. The official confirmed the establishment of arbitration mechanisms but conceded “some land-related abuses” had occurred.

For families like Burunga’s, however, the struggle highlights the enduring fragility of life in eastern Congo — where the return of the displaced often leads not to relief but to fresh conflict.