In this short conversation, the Sentinel Project’s James Kataliko, Project Lead for the Kijiji Cha Amani Project in North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), discusses the dangers of misinformation in a conflict environment, the challenges of combatting it, and how the Kijiji Amani Cha Project is supporting peacebuilding efforts in the region. Note: this interview has been translated from the original French and is lightly edited for clarity.
[John Otunga]: Eastern DRC has been a hotbed of conflict for decades. Could you explain to me the main drivers of this persistent instability?
James Kataliko: Absolutely. Various armed groups operate in the region, including local and foreign forces. The March 23 Movement [M23]*, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda [FDLR]**, and the Allied Democratic Forces [ADF]*** are notorious, but numerous minor factions also exist. These groups vie for control of the region’s vast mineral resources, fueling intense competition and violence. Add to that a history of ethnic tensions and external interference, and you have a perfect storm for conflict.
[JO]: How does misinformation contribute to this volatile situation?
JK: Misinformation is like pouring gasoline on a fire. It creates a climate of fear and mistrust, which is precisely what these armed groups exploit. With limited access to reliable information, people in eastern DRC are particularly vulnerable to rumours and falsehoods. When these rumours revolve around sensitive topics like civilian killings, they can quickly spiral into violence, often targeting specific ethnic groups. It’s a vicious cycle that hampers peacebuilding efforts.
A case in point is an example from the Kirumba community in Lubero Territory in the fall of 2021. Rumours that the ADF were in the area were circulating amongst the community. One morning, a civilian group started attacking non-locals and other tribes [Hutu who speak Kinyarwanda] who were cutting wood in the bush. On the first day, the incident resulted in four deaths. On the second day, when the police and the army wanted to intervene, some civilians were infiltrated by Mai-Mai rebels from the western part of the community. They disarmed the police officers, stole their weapons, and burned government offices. On the third day, any vehicle coming from Goma and Butembo carrying a soldier was stopped, and the soldier was instantly killed by mob justice. These incidents sparked many inflammatory rumours and targeted attacks within a very short timeframe.
[JO]: How does Kijiji Cha Amani work?
JK: Kijiji Cha Amani operates by harnessing the power of community involvement to combat misinformation. Community members join by subscribing to the automated Kijiji Cha Amani free SMS service that gives new subscribers prompts on how to report rumours anonymously. Once the rumour reports are received in the system, they are investigated by Kijiji Cha Amani coordinators. They contact information sources such as trained volunteers [community ambassadors], civil society organizations, and local authorities. The verified information is then disseminated through SMS and the community ambassadors. This process helps foster a culture of fact-checking and dialogue.
[JO]: Can you share a specific instance where Kijiji Cha Amani played a critical role in quelling rumours?
JK: We were particularly vigilant during the December 2023 elections, knowing how easily misinformation can disrupt peaceful voting. We proactively trained community ambassadors and leaders to identify common misinformation tactics. We also collaborated with communities in Bukavu and Butembo to develop messages in local languages, reminding people of their rights and responsibilities as voters. These messages were widely disseminated through various channels. We also monitored the situation in real-time in key areas like Bunia, Minova, Lubero, and Uvira. In Bunia, a rumour was spread that internally displaced persons [IDPs] could only vote at a specific centre, leading to unrest. We quickly countered this misinformation through Facebook posts, SMS alerts, and WhatsApp messaging, effectively calming the situation within hours. Similarly, in Minova, delays in receiving voting materials led to tension. We addressed this by informing the public about the expected arrival of the materials, preventing panic, and ensuring a smooth voting process.
[JO]: Where do you see Kijiji Cha Amani in the next year?
JK: KCA receives a lot of positive feedback from the communities. The project is well accepted. Many people tell us that we are grounded in the community and instill trust and confidentiality in the transmission of information. As a medium-term projection, we plan to gradually cover the whole eastern region of the DRC [North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri provinces], which is currently under significant tensions of tribal hatred [inter-ethnic conflicts] and national and foreign armed groups.
To enable coverage of the provinces, we plan to consolidate our system by implementing human nodes, or focal points [chosen amongst the community ambassadors]. This network will help us reach a subscriber base of 50,000 people in the three provinces. These focal points will be our interlocutors in humanitarian cluster meetings, and they will be able to provide us with helpful summary reports. To increase our intervention capacity, we must program more training sessions, radio broadcasts [including peace songs and peace theatre], open days, community dialogues, and festivals in our peace spaces.
[JO]: Do you have any parting remarks?
JK: In urban centres, children are currently being manipulated by political pressure groups to participate in demonstrations and popular uprisings. Children are preyed upon and are taken advantage of as ways to exacerbate rumours and misinformation. To strengthen community cohesion, we are planning a special section called Mtoto bila ujeuri or ‘child without violence.’ This activity will include educational programming to prevent children from being placed in various situations of manipulation. From what we can see, we understand that children who join armed groups as soldiers or trackers have generated their own misinformation or rumours. Some are religious fanatics, or they are taught to be prejudicial against people of other religions. Armed groups and militias with tribal tendencies feed stories filled with stereotypes to children. Some of the children raised by armed groups with whom we have interacted have often promoted hateful perceptions of other tribes that they have inculcated from their parents or commanders.
*The March 23 Movement is a Tutsi-led paramilitary group currently operating in eastern DRC.
**The Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda/Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda is an armed group made up of Rwandan Hutu rebels, operating in the DRC.
*** The Allied Democratic Forces is an armed Ugandan Islamist group based in Uganda and the DRC.