Ituri: MONUSCO supports the reintegration of 933 ex-combatants and community members [1]
Former combatants who chose to pursue agriculture received tools suitable for farming community fields. Future harvests will enable them to provide for themselves.
The small locality of Soleniama-Miala, located about ten kilometers from Bunia in Ituri Province, hosted the launch of the second phase of a community reintegration project implemented by MONUSCO’s Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Section (DDR-S). The initiative targets 933 beneficiaries, including 311 ex-combatants from the Zaïre self-defense group and 622 members of the Tsere community. The activity took place on Friday, 25 October 2025.
With a budget of 490,000 US dollars, the project is part of the National Strategy for Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Community Reintegration (PDDRC-S), which establishes a ratio of one ex-combatant for every two community members.
A multisectoral project for lasting peace
The program includes several components in the territories of Djugu (Tsere, Miala, Telega) and Irumu (Tchomia). It provides temporary jobs paid at 5 dollars per day for 100 days, with 2 dollars of each payment set aside for a future cooperative. It also supports the creation of agro-pastoral cooperatives in Tsere, Tchomia, Miala and Telega, including livestock distribution and the construction of infrastructures such as offices, stables, wells and roads. In addition, high labor-intensive agricultural works (HIMO) are underway in Miala and Telega, while in Tchomia, a feed mill will be built to support the existing fish farming activities.
Ex-combatants who have chosen the agricultural sector received tools such as hoes, watering cans, wheelbarrows, spades and pickaxes to cultivate community fields. The upcoming harvests are expected to help them meet their basic needs and build a stable life away from weapons.
Ex-combatants becoming agents of peace
Among the beneficiaries is J.L.N, 57, a former nurse with the Zaïre armed group, known among its members as the “self-defense” movement. Between 2021 and 2023, he lived in the bush, in the Largu and Blukwa areas of Djugu Territory, before deciding to lay down his arms in September 2024 following awareness campaigns led by MONUSCO and its partners.
“As a Hema, I joined the self-defense group to protect myself and defend my community. But life in the bush was a nightmare, with hunger, constant displacement and threats of death. I was their nurse; I treated the wounded and provided psychological support, as some suffered violence from their own companions,” he explains calmly.
He soon realized that this life was far from what he had imagined:“The two years I spent in the bush were terrible. There was no food, many people died of hunger, and we had to move constantly to avoid attacks. It was not the life I had dreamed of. Even today, those who remain in the bush live in fear and without access to healthcare. If someone tries to leave, they risk being killed.”.
Now demobilized, J.L.N is full of new ideas and projects. He dreams of creating a Fund for Climate, Peace and Social Cohesion, investing in agriculture and reforestation. For him, this reintegration project supported by MONUSCO marks the first step toward rebuilding his life.
“Leave the bush and return home”
On 5 September 2024, J.L.N received his demobilization card from the PDDRC-S, which he considers a genuine passport to life. This document grants him freedom of movement and access to community reintegration projects. He also encourages young people still involved in armed groups to follow his example: “Leave the bush; there is no life there. Go back to your homes or to host communities, where you will be welcomed. Hand over your weapons to the PDDRC-S, to MONUSCO or to the FARDC. The country needs all of us. Those who manipulate these young people must stop stealing their future,” he urges.
Beyond individual reintegration, this three-month-and-ten-day project seeks to strengthen peaceful coexistence among communities in Ituri, long affected by conflict. By providing economic and social alternatives for at-risk youth, MONUSCO and its partners aim to lay the foundations for lasting peace in the region.