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”.

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Finding relief

The United Nations says thousands of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands of civilians forced from their homes following the rebel offensive. The M23 disputes the figures, saying fewer than 1,000 people have died.

Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, bore the brunt of some of the worst fighting at the start of this year and remains under rebel control.

One resident of the city told the BBC their experiences have had a “profound psychological impact”.

“The traumatic events we witnessed in January, with bodies lying in the streets, military effects scattered everywhere, people being killed indiscriminately and the stench of decomposing corpses, left us disturbed,” the contributor, who chose to remain anonymous, added.

Yet, alongside having to deal with the consequences of the presence of troops in Goma, they said the chance to cheer on their team at Wafcon offered “an opportunity to regain national pride and glory”.

“It would be a chance for us to marvel and momentarily escape the trauma that Goma has endured,” they added.

Yav Kasaj, who plays for Lubumbashi-based TP Mazembe, the country’s biggest club, has been personally affected by the conflict.

“Hearing about it from afar is one thing, but when family and friends are caught up in situations like this, you can’t ignore it. You feel out of sorts,” the 22-year-old midfielder admitted.

“I lost a friend there; she was a war victim. We’re committed to fighting for the joy of everyone in Goma.”

‘Our sympathies are with them’

The situation in eastern DR Congo has fallen down the international news agenda, with the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza conflict garnering more coverage.

That lack of focus is something that has previously inspired the nation’s footballers to use their platform to push for peace.

DR Congo’s men made a high-profile appeal to end the violence at last year’s Africa Cup of Nations, making a unified gesture when lining up for their national anthem ahead of a semi-final defeat against hosts Ivory Coast.

The Leopardesses, however, will not be able to repeat that on-field success after losing their first two games.

Defeats by Senegal and hosts Morocco mean the side have already been eliminated before their final Group A outing.

The squad have also had to deal with a dispute over pay and conditions, yet forward Olga Massombo says the side remain motivated to perform against Zambia.

“Our parents, our sisters back home are going through war, men and women there are still fighting,” she said.

“Us coming here is an honour. Obviously losing these matches we know we might have let them down, but the goal is to progress.

“When I’m talking about progress, it is not just about us a team but [for] the whole country to get better.

“Our sympathies are always with them and we represent everyone back home. We know what they are going through. It is only right for us to give everything we have.”

‘The pain of loss lingers’

Celia, another fan who has been in attendance, believes the players have been unable to switch off from the many problems both at home and in the build-up to Wafcon.

“They’ve put all their efforts into the game, but they haven’t been able to focus on that,” she said after the 4-2 defeat by Morocco in Rabat.

“We know there is a problem in the east. We had to do our best for the blood that flows over our country.”

In December, the men’s team will make their own journey to Morocco to take part in the 2025 Nations Cup.

Joseph says the fans in the stadiums will continue to make themselves heard.

“As a country we are giving all our energy behind our national teams, both women and men,” he said.

“With the recent accord that has been signed between the United States, Rwanda and DR Congo we hope that things are going to be better and we can get a ceasefire and open a humanitarian corridor for the people that are suffering.”

DR Congo must win their final Group A fixture against Zambia – and by a large margin given their goal difference of minus six – to stand any chance of reaching the quarter-finals as one of the best-ranked third place sides.

Ahead of the tournament, Yav Kasaj said the team had “done what we can” by qualifying.

“While some might say the DRC has won, the pain of loss lingers,” she explained.

“We’re growing up in a reality where people are dying, and we’re constantly troubled.”

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