Tens of thousands of students in rebel-held eastern Congo sat for national exams this week, in a rare display of cooperation between the government and M23 insurgents who now control key cities.
The exams, which began Monday and run through mid-June, are critical for university admission. Despite insecurity and ongoing conflict, education officials personally transported exam materials from Kinshasa to areas under M23 control.
“We were among those who went to Kinshasa to collect the items,” said Jean-Marie Mwayesi, an education official in South Kivu. He confirmed all 111 exam centers in his zone received materials.
President Felix Tshisekedi’s government waived exam fees for students in the conflict zones of North and South Kivu. Though M23 has long opposed Tshisekedi’s rule, its leader Bertrand Bisimwa said they still recognize Kinshasa’s role in education.
“Our presence in the east does not make this a separate country,” Bisimwa told Reuters. “Education must remain apolitical.”
Human rights groups accuse M23 of killing civilians, including children—claims the rebels deny.
In Bukavu, where violence and insecurity have risen since its capture in February, student Exauce Katete said conditions on exam day were calm. “There are people outside keeping us safe. Everything is going well,” he said, referring to M23 plainclothes guards.
Of 44,000 students registered in Mwayesi’s zone, nearly 42,000 attended. He believes the rest may have been displaced by fighting.