“Peace only lasts as long as it takes them to reload their weapons” as the song Malheur Malheur by Maître Gims says was on my mind during the capture of the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in January 2025. Watching the news around the fall of Goma brought me back to the memory of a beautiful volcanic city that has not known lasting peace for decades.
I lived and worked in Goma for a year as a humanitarian with an international NGO. The best memory from that experience is my friendship with Brianca Buhoro. Within the emergency response team of that NGO, I met Brianca, and we became inseparable colleagues sharing moments of intense work and bursts of laughter during breaks. We both worked in the grants department, so our daily tasks were similar. From Monday to Friday, we looked forward to meeting at 1 p.m. over a plate of sambaza, sausage, fries, or fried fish. We talked about everything, but one recurring theme in our conversations was how to achieve lasting peace for our African countries. Being from Chad and she from the DRC, our two nations had known moments of glory but also times of war that claimed the lives of innocents.
Our work in reporting, drafting proposals for donors, and spending time in villages with communities made us see and feel the devastating effects of war on those who did not deserve it. Together, we navigated the insecurities of Goma and lived through the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo in May 2021.
During that dreadful week in January, Brianca kept me updated about herself and the city through WhatsApp. There was a general power outage, and internet services were minimal, but we managed to exchange messages for at least three days before a heavy silence fell. During that silence, I told myself that phones and power banks had run out of charge. I held onto the hope that all was well and that soon we would reconnect, but I was shaken. I spent hours listening to international media reports on the situation. The thought of going back to Goma often crossed my mind, with the sole purpose of seeing Brianca again.
After a few days, she wrote to tell me she was safe and had gone to another neighborhood to get better phone and internet reception. I wondered where she found the strength to step out and face a city still gripped by fear. In the days that followed, Brianca began sharing posts on her blog, detailing those hours of ordeal. Resilience in every sense.
Writer, blogger, mother, wife, sister, daughter, aunt, humanitarian she is a woman of many talents who tirelessly works for a better future in the DRC. She embodies the strength of a determined woman. In October 2024, she published her book Les marques du parcours, and through her blog Brie la Plume, she allows us to discover the realities of a richly blessed country plagued by a war of greed. From afar, we have continued our collaboration in writing, with articles and conversations about our countries.
The greatest lesson I take from Brianca is that of resilience. To have lived so long in a place where peace never lasts and still be able to wage a fight for that peace through writing is extraordinary. To write despite it all, to continue despite it all, and to hope against all hope.
It is calm in Goma now, but one wonders for how long. War leaves physical and psychological scars that weaken human beings. In eastern DRC, I have witnessed these effects, and I have also seen the resilience of my colleagues, friends, and communities. What else can we do but hope that lasting peace will finally spread in Goma and beyond?
As I look forward to seeing Brianca again soon, I continue to learn from her resilience. Our experiences in these conflicts, though difficult, will surely enable us to contribute to that long-desired peace. Through our writings, the present and future generations will come to know the history of our countries and never give up in the pursuit of peace.
Deborah Melom Ndjerareou
We Write Afrika 
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