Nestled in the scarred hills of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the town of Sake—a once-modest transit hub 27 kilometres west of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province—has transformed into a fulcrum of military contestation, economic hardship, and civilian endurance.
Earlier this year, Sake fell to the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group following a succession of intense clashes with national security forces. The town’s strategic location at the convergence of major trade and military corridors has made it a tactical priority for all parties to the conflict. Sake now acts as both a defensive rear for Goma and a staging post for operations deeper into the Masisi and Walikale territories—regions central to the DRC’s mineral wealth and continuing unrest.
When M23 forces advanced in late January 2025, they met limited resistance, and the town’s estimated 130,000 residents were compelled to flee, abandoning homes and livelihoods. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has confirmed mass displacement following the town’s capture, with many seeking refuge near Goma. However, when displacement camps were dismantled by rebel orders in February, thousands were involuntarily repatriated to a still-contested and largely unsafe town.
Today, remnants of war persist in daily life. Bullet casings line the main roads. Markets have reopened, yet economic activity remains anaemic. Vendors like Noella Bulambo return each day in hope rather than expectation. “We try to sell, but people are hungry,” she explains, noting that with supply chains disrupted and purchasing power decimated, commerce has all but collapsed. Barter, an archaic economic system, has resurged: charcoal is exchanged for soap, maize for salt, all under the looming presence of rebel governance.
The financial ecosystem has imploded. Banks are shuttered, mobile money networks disrupted, and transport routes compromised, as confirmed in the latest UN reports on eastern DRC conflict zones. Locals report that most savings remain inaccessible, with liquidity constraints exacerbating food insecurity.
The hazards extend beyond financial instability. Sake’s fertile agricultural fields—particularly the Kamuronza area, once heralded for its productive soil—are now off-limits due to unexploded ordnance, active minefields, and roaming armed groups. Local agronomists, including Jonas Mudumbi, assert that if planting cannot resume soon, famine may be inevitable.
International humanitarian actors, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), have reported numerous injuries and fatalities among children who unknowingly interact with explosive remnants. “Some were simply playing in fields when they discovered shiny metal objects,” confirmed Taoffic Mohamed Toure, a senior ICRC representative based in Goma. These “toys” turned out to be deadly ordnance.
The humanitarian fallout has also highlighted gender-based violence, with displaced women reporting sexual assaults during attempts to return to agricultural fields. The physical danger of farming has pushed many residents, like Immaculee Bauma, to rely on backyard plots for sustenance—a fragile solution in a region already teetering on the edge of collapse.
Yet, Sake is more than a battlefield—it is a node in the region’s mineral economy, particularly as the access point to Rubaya, home to one of the world’s largest coltan reserves. Coltan, a crucial component in electronics manufacturing, represents both a blessing and a curse. The United Nations Panel of Experts on the DRC noted in its December 2024 report that M23 and allied entities extract up to 120 tonnes of coltan monthly, generating an estimated USD 800,000 through informal taxation and monopolised logistics.
This revenue is facilitated through forced labour, often termed “salongo,” a term originally associated with communal volunteering but now widely interpreted as compulsory, unpaid work. Local witnesses have observed road construction efforts around Sake and into Masisi, with civilians coerced into labour for rebel-engineered infrastructure projects. Corneille Nangaa, leader of the political-military coalition Congo River Alliance (AFC)—an entity aligned with M23—has defended the mobilisation as “state-building.” However, the UN and multiple humanitarian organisations continue to denounce it as exploitative and illegal.
The enduring presence of armed groups, lack of access to humanitarian aid, and weakened state institutions have left the town suspended between fear and resilience. Despite sporadic international diplomatic efforts, including regional mediation attempts led by the East African Community, a sustainable ceasefire remains elusive.
What persists, however, is the human spirit. Amid scorched alleyways and fractured communities, residents strive to reclaim a semblance of life. Elderly women cultivate modest gardens near makeshift shelters, children attend ad hoc schools established by NGOs, and vendors return to market stalls with whatever goods they can procure.
Sake stands today as a stark testament to the consequences of protracted instability, foreign-backed rebel influence, and mineral-fuelled warfare. The town embodies the broader challenges confronting the Great Lakes region—where geopolitical interests, resource control, and humanitarian catastrophe intersect.
