In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, violence, competition for resources and other factors have contributed to a proliferation of armed groups, leading to internal displacement and thousands of deaths.

Since 2018, Interpeace has had a strategy to work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the country’s higher security-risk areas, in particular:

• In North Kivu, Interpeace is resolving conflicts at the community level and setting up mediation structures.
• In Kasai and Kasai Central, Interpeace is prioritising dialogue, mediation and reconciliation. Another key focus in Kasai is reinforcing the leadership of women and girls in peacebuilding.
• In Mai Ndombe, Interpeace is working to understand and mitigate the violent conflict between communities.

In Ituri province, young people have taken a significant step towards eradicating identity stereotypes and promoting peace. In July 2023, hundreds of young people took part in the election of the new committee of the Provincial Youth Council in the town of Bunia. The election was organised as a recommendation from a youth dialogue session held in June 2023, supported by the mediation consortium consisting of Interpeace, Action pour la Paix et la Concorde, the Pole Institute, and New York University.

The aim of the programme was to get young people involved in the peacebuilding process in this part of the country. They have committed themselves to changing the situation by agreeing to put an end to the leadership crisis within their provincial council. At the end of the meeting, young people from all the structures in the five territories of Ituri province signed an act of commitment, following a plan of concrete actions in the peace process. During the proceedings, the elements of cohesion between young people from different communities were discussed. The aim was to identify factors of division and cohesion, as well as concrete actions to be taken by these people – men and women alike.

Over 400 young people participated in the meeting at Interpeace's invitation, in collaboration with the provincial government, the provincial coordination of the Disarmament, Demobilisation, Community Rehabilitation and Stabilisation Programme, and the Mediation Advisory Group. They were joined by several provincial deputies, members of religious denominations, and other local, national, and international NGOs. This activity is part of the Support for Meditation and Resilience for Peace in Ituri and Greater North Kivu project.

In Ituri, there was a 47.5% increase in the number of people who positively rated the government performance in taking initiative to respond to priorities for peace in their village.