Attachments
Introduction
Displacement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains a major concern, generating urgent humanitarian needs, raising civilian protection challenges, and fuelling expectations toward the DRC government, aid agencies, MONUSCO, and other international actors. This brief explores how these stakeholders are discussed on social media in relation to the displacement crisis. It examines public sentiment from February to March 2025 based on posts containing IDP-related terms, aiming to understand how displacement is perceived and how these perceptions may affect humanitarian action.
The analysis is based on 1,425 comments left by social media users in response to 33 posts, mainly from edited media, that mentioned IDPs. The initial research identified roughly 500 public posts that referred to IDPs in some form but the analysis was limited to the comments to the 33 posts that had generated the highest engagement by social media users. Most comments did not focus directly on displacement, but rather revealed sentiments that users associated with displacement highlighting wider frustration with political leadership, regional insecurity, and the humanitarian response.
While relatively few in number, those comments that referenced IDPs directly often reflected anger about their situation. This included frustration about the lack of attention being paid when returnees found their homes or lands occupied. Reactions to concerns facing returnee often triggered narratives of foreign occupation, demographic manipulation, and ethnic scapegoating—highlighting how displacement, when discussed, is frequently linked to hate speech, conspiracy theories, and accusations against political actors. In doing so, it highlights the emergence of hate speech within these interactions. Although not a comprehensive assessment of hate speech, this approach offers valuable insight into how inflammatory narratives appear within the context of civilian protection and aid delivery.
Aid organisations and the UN were the most frequently criticised actors in the discussion around displacement concerns, often seen as ineffective or complicit—though they also received the highest number of positive mentions, likely due to the visibility of their posts. Two local media platforms, including one associated to the aid sector attracted notable discontent, with commenters accusing the outlet of concealing the truth or promoting biased narratives. This reflects broader frustration with how information is conveyed and who is seen as shaping public discourse.
Key findings
The majority of the comments under IDP-related posts did not directly address displacement, instead reflecting broader political frustration and regional insecurity. While there were some expressions of sympathy for displaced people, most comments were dominated by anger toward the Congolese government, and hostility toward Rwanda. Displacement was often referenced indirectly, through criticism of military failure, calls for regional retaliation, and accusations that the government and international actors had failed to protect civilians. The humanitarian crisis served as a backdrop to larger political grievances, with many commenters calling for war, denouncing perceived betrayal, and questioning the motives of foreign powers.