After a surge in violence in the country this year, playing at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations has taken on a deeper meaning for players and supporters of DR Congo.
Returning to the tournament for the first time since 2012, the Leopardesses have provided a brief opportunity for the nation to forget about the devastating conflict that has afflicted its eastern provinces for decades.
The offensive which M23 rebels launched in January garnered international attention, and their swift advance saw them take control of territory which holds deposits of valuable rare earth minerals.
There is overwhelming evidence that Rwanda, DR Congo’s neighbour, is backing the M23 but the government in Kigali denies providing the group with financial or military support.
A peace deal which DR Congo and Rwanda signed at the end of June has offered hope that the region can start a new chapter. This month in Morocco, Congolese footballers have also been looking to give their compatriots something to cheer.
“Seeing the victims – children, mothers, fathers who’ve lost loved ones, and families torn apart – was heartbreaking,” midfielder Marlene Yav Kasaj told BBC Sport Africa.
“It’s been hard to cope with.
“For me, the support I offer is simple: when I’m on the pitch I feel compelled to win, even if it’s just to bring a small moment of happiness to our people.”
The peace deal, signed in Washington DC, demanded the “disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration” of armed groups fighting in the east of DR Congo.
Meanwhile, the government in Kinshasa remains in negotiations with the M23 about a ceasefire.
But, in some of the worst-affected regions, a traumatised local population continues to search for solace.
And Joseph, a supporter attending his country’s first group game against Senegal in Mohammedia, told BBC Sport Africa that football “is a kind of hope for the people that live in this part of the country”.
