Amid escalating conflict in eastern DR Congo, top-flight football clubs face uncertainty as players remain stranded, leagues delay and survival takes priority.
Guns can be heard in the distance echoing through the hills of North and South Kivu where war has once again upended daily life.
This time, the conflict has not only displaced thousands of civilians but has also brought DR Congo’s national football championship to a standstill.
FC Etoile du Kivu and OC Bukavu Dawa, two clubs from the eastern part of the country, have been unable to play since the start of the championship’s return phase in early February.
Many of their players are stranded in Kalemie, unable to reach Kinshasa, while others are stuck in conflict zones, facing immense challenges just to survive.
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With the national championship set to conclude on May 31, the future of several teams hangs in the balance. The league’s governing body, Linafoot, insists that these clubs remain part of the competition, but for players and staff, football is now a distant concern. The war in eastern DR Congo, where M23 rebels have seized control of key areas, has made movement nearly impossible for the affected teams.
“We walked 22 kilometers from Nya-Ngezi to Kamanyola,” recalls Eli Bombanza, an attacking midfielder for OC Bukavu Dawa, told RFI French.
“We met Wazalendo militias and FARDC soldiers. We were searched at every barrier. It was really stressful. The situation is very difficult.”
For Ntela Merfi, the young goalkeeper of FC Étoile du Kivu, the dream of professional football has been replaced by the simple hope of reuniting with his family.
“I miss my family so much. I am here, but I am also a father. I have my little girl, she needs me. What I ask is to go home,” he says.
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The crisis is not just logistical—it is financial. The cost of evacuating the stranded players to Kinshasa is estimated at around $11,000, an amount that neither the clubs nor the players can afford. The longer they remain displaced, the more their hopes of resuming their football careers fade.
Meanwhile, Linafoot chairman Bosco Mwehu remains cautiously optimistic.
“We’re not going to exclude these teams. We’re saying that this situation is still temporary,” he stated as per Nation.
However, no special measures have been put in place to address the crisis, with the league only acknowledging the conflict as a “case of force majeure” under its regulations.
Despite official assurances, the reality on the ground tells a different story. The conflict in North and South Kivu has disrupted not only sporting activities but also the broader economic and political landscape.
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Rebels have established a parallel administration in some areas, making governance—and by extension, football—an afterthought.
In Lubumbashi, where clubs like TP Mazembe and CS Saint Eloi Lupopo continue to operate, football remains deeply entangled with politics.
During a recent match, a group of supporters sang chants in favor of the M23 rebels, sparking controversy in the city. With some politicians accused of leveraging the sport to gain influence, the lines between football, conflict, and power are becoming increasingly blurred.
If Linafoot cannot complete the season by May 31, league officials may seek special exemptions. But for the players stranded in Kalémie and beyond, those bureaucratic decisions offer little comfort. Until peace returns, football in eastern DR Congo is in limbo—another casualty of a war that shows no sign of ending.