Beni Files

2017-01-24

Since October 2014 more than 1000 citizens have been killed in and around Beni, a town in North Kivu in DR Congo. The web documentary Beni Files shows what is happening right under the nose of the world's most expensive UN peace mission.

According to local sources already 80,000 people have left Beni and the surrounding villages. Local authorities have been blaming the ADF-Nalu rebel group. Almost two years later, people are still speculating about who's behind all this, as no arrests have been made, and no real investigations have been done.

Beni Files is an online memorial for the victims of the massacres. Beni Files visualises all events, shares the stories of the victims and their families, and offers different insights on the mysterious murders.

This project was nominated for the Loep - Aanmoedigingsprijs (Award of the Dutch-Flemish Association of Investigative Journalists - VVOJ).

This investigation was funded through Journalismfund.eu's Flanders Connects Continents programme.

Team members

Elien Spillebeen

Elien Spillebeen is a Belgian journalist and researcher. She studied international politics in Ghent (Belgium) and Aix-en-Province (France).

Richard Kirimba

Richard Kirimba works as a journalist for Radio Moto Oicha in DR Congo. He studied journalism at the local University of Oicha, Nord-Kivu, Congo.

Jean Baptiste Kavunga

Jean Baptiste Kavunga studied ICT in Kinshasa. He cofounded CRDH, an organisation that reports violations of human rights and assists victims in their search for justice.