The project, supported by Swiss Cooperation, aims to unite youth through football and basketball tournaments in a region long plagued by conflict.
BUKAVU- Amid the ongoing security challenges that have gripped eastern Democratic Republic of Congo for decades, a new initiative is seeking to build peace one match at a time. Hope and Peace RDC, with the support of Swiss Cooperation, officially launched the “Young People Engaged for Peace, Cohesion, and Local Resilience” project on Saturday, July 18, 2026, at the Kadutu Concorde Stadium in Bukavu.
The initiative aims to promote peace, social cohesion, and peaceful coexistence through sporting activities that bring together young people from across the city. The launch ceremony brought together academic authorities from Bukavu’s higher education institutions, community leaders, and representatives of the teams selected to participate in the various tournaments planned under the project.
Three Tournaments, One Vision
Hope and Peace RDC has organized three tournaments to achieve its objectives. The first, an inter-university football competition, kicked off on Saturday with four universities selected through a draw to take part in the competition.
The opening match featured a tense semifinal between the Official University of Bukavu (UOB) and the Catholic University of Bukavu (UCB). UOB secured a narrow 1-0 victory, earning their place in the final.
A second tournament, scheduled to begin on July 21, 2026, will be an inter-community football competition bringing together young people from Bukavu’s three municipalities. A third tournament, dedicated to basketball, is set to start on August 7, 2026.
Rebuilding Bridges Through Sport
Speaking at the ceremony, Claudine Byamungu, coordinator of Hope and Peace RDC, expressed her satisfaction with the launch of the project, which is funded by Swiss Cooperation. According to her, the initiative represents a unique opportunity to raise young people’s awareness of the values of peace and social cohesion through sport.
“We have organized these tournaments to bring young people together around a common interest,” Byamungu said. “In collaboration with Swiss Cooperation, we want to use these moments to promote peace, social cohesion, and coexistence among students, young people, and throughout the city of Bukavu.”
She also noted that for more than twenty years, Bukavu’s universities had not had the opportunity to come together in such a large-scale friendly sporting setting. The initiative, she said, seeks to fill that gap and create lasting connections between institutions and communities.
A Timely Intervention in a Fragile Context
Participants welcomed the initiative, calling it particularly important given the current security situation in eastern DRC. The region has been gripped by decades of armed conflict, with the AFC/M23 coalition now controlling significant territory in North and South Kivu despite ongoing regional mediation efforts. Fighting has continued in recent weeks, displacing civilians and complicating diplomatic initiatives aimed at ending the violence.
In this context, community leaders and young participants said they believe sport can contribute to bringing communities closer together and strengthening youth resilience in the face of the challenges they confront daily.
“It’s not just about football,” said one participant who requested anonymity to speak freely. “It’s about showing that we can come together, that we are not enemies. The war has divided us for too long. This is a chance to remember our common humanity.”
Echoes of a National Dialogue
The Bukavu sports initiative comes at a pivotal moment for the DRC, as President Félix Tshisekedi has announced plans to convene an inclusive national dialogue aimed at strengthening national cohesion and promoting peace. The announcement followed a meeting with representatives of the country’s major religious denominations at the African Union headquarters in Kinshasa.
While the national dialogue seeks to address political and security challenges at the highest levels, the Bukavu project reflects a grassroots approach to peacebuilding — one that recognizes the role of youth, community engagement, and shared experiences in building the foundations for lasting peace.
As Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, speaking on behalf of religious leaders who welcomed the national dialogue initiative, recently noted: “It is up to all of us, those in power as well as those in the opposition, to follow this dynamic so that all the sons and daughters of the Congo can finally live in peace.”
For the young people of Bukavu, that dynamic begins on the football pitch.
Looking Ahead
With the inter-university tournament now underway and the inter-community and basketball tournaments set to follow, Hope and Peace RDC plans to expand the initiative’s reach in the coming months. The organization hopes the project will serve as a model for similar efforts across eastern DRC, where youth have too often been drawn into conflict rather than united by shared aspirations.
“We believe that peace is built day by day, person by person,” Byamungu said. “Through these tournaments, we are investing in the future of our province and our country.”
