Democratic Republic of the Congo: Explosive remnants of war yet again threaten lives
The use of explosive weapons in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is putting people in danger once more. Several provinces are affected, particularly North Kivu, and many areas remain contaminated by explosive remnants of war. After more than three decades of armed conflict and violence, people in the eastern part of the country find themselves in danger again, and are having to learn how to cope.
Franck kicks around his improvised football in front of his house in the town of Saké, 25 kilometres from the city of Goma, occasionally raising his right hand, which is missing part of its index finger. At the age of 11, he became the victim of an explosive device that seriously injured him. He has just returned home from hospital after two weeks of treatment, and is keen to play with his little three-year-old brother. He has not lost his sense of fun, despite some ongoing pain.
“One day, when we were playing outside, my friend saw a small object that he picked up and started to shake. It sounded a bit like a maraca. Then he said we should crush it to get out whatever was rattling around inside. It started to smoke and it burnt his hand, so he suddenly threw it at me,” he explains.
Franck and his friend had found a bomb lying near a tyre in Mumbabiro in Saké. They fiddled with the object out of curiosity, never imagining it to be dangerous. When they tried to break it open, it exploded, injuring Franck’s hand and arm. The use of explosive weapons has contaminated many areas in Kivu region, putting the lives of civilians in danger. In order to prevent such accidents, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) works alongside communities to mark out dangerous areas.
According to the report Landmine Monitor 2024, 87 per cent of the victims of mines and explosive remnants of war are civilians; of that figure, 37 per cent are children. Often less aware of the risks, children are also naturally curious, which may lead them to pick up and handle explosive devices while out playing.
When daily life becomes deadly
The town of Saké has witnessed several bouts of armed clashes between different armed groups. The most recent clashes, which mostly took place between late December 2024 and early January 2025, were particularly violent. Because the fighting occurred in densely populated urban areas, the risks associated with explosive devices have been greatly increased, and pose an immediate threat to civilians’ lives. Simple, daily activities – such as children playing outside or people gardening, foraging for food or walking on an unsurfaced road – now carry a potentially lethal level of danger.
Cases like Franck’s are common, not only in Saké but also in Goma, where explosive weapons with a wide impact area were also used at the end of January 2025. Some of those injured by explosive remnants of war – artillery and mortar shells, grenades, bombs and missiles – are being treated in Goma’s CBCA Ndosho Hospital, which is supported by the ICRC.
Between January and March 2025, more than 1,419 wounded people were treated at the CBCA Ndosho Hospital. At this facility alone, 301 of those treated were wounded by explosive devices, including explosive remnants of war – a figure that is likely to increase because of the explosive devices that are still present in the city and surrounding rural areas.
Sifa,* who is in her thirties, has just returned from collecting sweet potatoes. She lives not far from Saké and returned home in February 2025 after spending a year in a camp for displaced people in Goma. Despite not having enough to eat, this mother of five has stayed away from her abandoned fields in the hills above Saké because, after returning, she spotted explosive remnants of war. She no longer dares to venture into her fields, whether it be to harvest her old crops or to sow new ones.
“I am so scared of explosive devices. We are waiting for them to be removed so we can clear the land and safely sow crops again. Since getting back, I've been feeding my family by collecting the potatoes that our neighbours have left behind in the fields near the houses. There won’t be any left at some point, and then I don't know what we will do,” she says, worried.
Destin Nalanda, a specialist in ordnance disposal, focuses on managing the risks associated with unexploded ordnance in high-risk areas, using markings to highlight danger zones. The purpose of these markings is to prevent accidents by alerting workers to contaminated areas. They are regularly updated to keep people safe, particularly if new hazards have been discovered.
Ensuring civilians understand the risks
The ICRC’s teams are also working to prevent accidents by identifying and marking contaminated areas. At the end of March 2025, it also launched a campaign to raise awareness among community leaders of the risks associated with explosive remnants of war and to explain safer behaviours to adopt.
“This is the first time we have ever had to live in constant danger because of unexploded ordnance. And it’s the first time we have heard these important accident prevention messages,” says one community leader who took part in the awareness-raising session organized by the ICRC in Mugunga, one of Goma’s most contaminated neighbourhoods. Around 30 community leaders took part in the sessions; few of them knew what to do when faced with explosive remnants of war.
The few NGOs that were carrying out mine clearance in North Kivu have stopped work because of the recent violence in Goma, the provincial capital. Marwan Nadim, an ICRC ordnance disposal specialist based in Goma, believes an urgent and rapid response is required to tackle the contamination and clear the land.
“The ICRC’s role focuses on raising awareness and identifying contaminated areas. We have already marked certain locations in Saké and Goma. For the people here, what matters now is that they feel reassured that these dangerous devices, which they have seen and are avoiding, will be quickly removed or neutralized safely.”
The use of explosive weapons has contaminated many areas across Kivu region, threatening the lives of civilians. To prevent accidents, the ICRC is working alongside communities by marking dangerous areas, raising awareness of the risks and supporting victims.
Alongside the awareness-raising sessions held with communities, the ICRC is also preparing radio spots to be broadcast on several community radio stations. Educational images have also been shared on social media networks to amplify prevention messages about the risks of weapon contamination.
There are long-term effects too: the presence of explosive remnants of war hinders educational and economic opportunities, and prevents people from accessing what they need to survive, such as water and farmland. Practical measures must be taken to limit their devastating effects on civilians, including identifying and marking contaminated areas, and warning civilians of the presence and dangers of explosive devices.
“In addition to raising awareness of the risks with civilians, it is also important for the parties to the conflict to understand the impact of using explosive weapons in densely populated areas. By limiting fighting in urban areas or near villages, they can help to protect civilians,” says Myriam Favier, head of the ICRC’s subdelegation in Goma.
The ICRC continues to discuss means and methods of warfare with the various parties to the conflict, explaining the impact that their choice can have on civilians during fighting, and months or even years after conflict has ended.
