Territoriality in Civil War: The Ignored Territorial Dimensions of Violent Conflict in North Kivu, DRC

Abstract

On the morning of 28 October 2008, the eastern Congolese rebel movement, the CNDP, occupied the both strategically and symbolically important district capital of Rutshuru in the eastern Congolese province of North Kivu. The rebels drove out the government troops, continued their advance on the city of Corna on the shores of Lake Kivu, and thus helped to swell the numbers of refugees — already several hundred thousands. At the same time, at a distance of about 20 km from Rutshuru as the crow flies, in the area controlled by the rebels and within hearing distance of the shooting, some 4,000 people from the surrounding villages were busy in the market of Bunagana on the Congolese-Ugandan border. Nobody seemed bothered by the noise of the fighting or let it stop them from carrying on their business. Feeling rather nervous, I asked why everyone was so relaxed, and a woman selling secondhand shoes shrugged her shoulders and said:

There’s no problem, the war is far away. The FARDC (the Congolese army [Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo/Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo]) will run away, as usual, and leave their weapons for the CNDR The rebels are in control here, but we are safe. And that is the most important thing.¹