After Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, fell on January 28, the AFC-M23 rebels, backed by some 4,000 troops from the Rwandan Defense Forces, continued their advance by seizing Bukavu two weeks later. The capture of this town, located at the other end of Lake Kivu from Goma, took place virtually without fighting, confirming the rout of the DRC's ghostly armed forces, known as FARDC, their Burundian allies and pro-government militias.

The M23 and the AFC, the rebellion's military and political wings, are now trying to establish a regime parallel to the government of Félix Tshisekedi, president since 2019, in the conquered areas. This new order includes the forced evacuation of camps for displaced people, formed since the resurgence of the M23 and the resumption of fighting in November 2021. This return policy is intended to eliminate potential sources of insecurity as much as to demonstrate the political effectiveness of the new authorities. Nevertheless, the relocation of displaced persons is taking place without any guarantees or support.

From Goma to Bukavu, via Monigi and Minova, photographer Paloma Laudet documented the consequences and implications for local populations of the transition to M23 control.

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