Humanitarian governance at the crossroads: violence, remoteness and ethnic discrimination in South Kivu (DRC)

This study concerns the governance of humanitarian organizations during interventions at the crossroads of violence, remoteness, and ethnic discrimination in conflict situations. The case has been narrowed to the minority Banyamulenge community of Minembwe region of the High Plateau of South Kivu. For decades they have suffered from atrocities linked to their identity and which have resulted in repetitive killings as well as other extremely wicked involving physical violence that need humanitarian emergencies to intervene. In this case, the study has been critically conducted with the aim of highlighting different problems encountered by humanitarian organizations during their interventions in such conditions and environments. On the other hand, the study aimed to gain deeper insights into how survivors of recurrent conflicts cope with difficulties in their lives when there is no humanitarian assistance. Targeted killings, theft and displacement have affected communities living in the High Plateau of Minembwe, a remote and inaccessible location. As a result, many people were forced to flee their homes, cannot till their land and their cattle, which were their means of living, have been stolen by the armed groups. As a result hospitals and schools have been destroyed, and the victim communities are left in dire need of humanitarian assistance in the form of food, shelter, and health care to survive. This study aimed to investigate and understand the narratives and practices of humanitarian organizations as non-state actors which have mostly failed to intervene to save human lives in Minembwe High Plateau. The study explored how civilians violently displaced are managing to survive in confined areas, given the almost complete absence of humanitarian assistance. The results suggest that indeed the Banyamulenge community has not been assisted by any major local or international humanitarian organizations. They are in dire need of food, shelter, and health care, and are managing to stay alive only due to support provided by relatives in the diaspora and those in other regions of DRC. On the other hand, the staff of humanitarian organizations contacted for this study all presented reasons why they could not intervene in Minembwe, citing insecurity but also fear of retaliation, as reasons for choosing – contrary to their mandates - not to assist Banyamulenge civilians in Minembwe, in need of humanitarian assistance.