In late 2021, Rwandan-backed rebels known as the M23 started raiding villages in the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo. At first, they stuck to remote areas, then they moved into more heavily populated towns. More and more people lost their homes as the chaos spread across the region. The DRC’s army then staged a fightback. Instead of only using official forces, it rearmed and remobilised local militia groups called Mai Mai, who have fought on various sides throughout the country’s decades of conflict.
Last October, I accompanied some of these government-backed militia as they tried to wrest back control of villages along the DRC’s eastern edge. One morning, we set off on the road to Kitchanga, a small town a few hundred kilometres from the Rwandan border. The Mai Mai were beginning their counterattack and they were enjoying an early breakthrough. They recaptured a handful of villages that had been lost to M23 rebels. There was a sense of momentum. As we stopped for a break in one of these recaptured towns, there was a huge militia unit taking a breather. In those moments of calm, I try to chat with people, usually by offering them a cigarette, before asking if I can take their photograph.
