By Dayo Yussuf
Kanyere and her five sons have lived in the Don Bosco camp for displaced people in the city of Goma for more than three years.
Armed conflict between government forces and M23 rebels forced them to flee their home in Rutshuru district of North Kivu region.
As general elections take place, internally displaced people like Kanyere are missing out on their democratic right.
"I am so sad in my heart that I don't even have time to think about the election," Kanyere Mbenda tells TRT Africa.
The middle-aged woman follows news of the political developments but says she is unable to vote.
"I cry day and night. I think about how my children and I will eat, we can't even find a can of rice sold at a cheap price, why should I bother to vote for any of them?" she tells TRT Afrika.
'My priority is food'
Kanyere is among the 6.9 million DRC citizens who fled their homes in the Kivu and Goma regions due to years of war.
According to the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, the latest round of fighting that broke out since October between M23 fighters and government troops has resulted in the largest number of internally displaced people within a short period of time.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said apart from the internally displaced, the violence has forced more than one million others to flee the country as refugees. Many of them will not be able to vote in the elections as well.
Incumbent President Felix Tsishekedi who is seeking a second term in office is facing challenge from more than 20 other candidates. Members of parliament are also going to be elected.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of natural resources, but it has been ravaged by decades of war.
Kanyere believes people like her have not benefited from the country's wealth. She feels disenchanted with the political class as well as the exploitation of the resources by foreign elements.
''When they start providing food for me and my children, we will understand each other, and let them also give me a place to raise my children,'' Kanyere says.
Salomon Munyandekwa who also fled violence with his family to a camp in Rutshuru district shares Kanyere's views.
'We need security'
''We are in a lot of suffering. Now if a person lives by struggling, and instead of going out to find a living, do you expect him to queue up all day to cast a vote?'' Salomon rues.
The widespread insecurity is also another concern, Solomon says. "You see that is a big problem for us that will cause many of us not to participate in voting," he adds.
It is not only the conflict that forced people from their homes to the camps. Floods have also displaced hundreds of thousands of people this year.
Some of the IDPs say they would like to vote if the government provides adequate security measures to ensure their safety.
"We would like to participate in the elections while the enemies (rebels) are not there,'' Salomon emphasises.
According to CENI, the electoral commission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are no provisions for voting in the displaced people's camps.
The electoral commission says voting will not take place in the districts of Rutsuru and Masisi due to rebel attacks.
In the last elections in 2018, millions of Congolese couldn't vote due to the same reason of insecurity.
