The Resilience of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Goma amid Recurrent Regional Conflicts

In a complex, uncertain, and conflict-ridden environment, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) represent an economic heritage that must be protected. Their collapse would jeopardize the development and growth of Goma and the entire province. Faced with repeated wars, SMEs in Goma are caught in a vicious cycle, with some falling into bankruptcy. The uncertainty is so pervasive that if war doesn't erupt today, it may break out tomorrow, next month, or next year-making sustainability a constant challenge. After thirty years of ongoing conflict, 2025 stands out as the most devastating year: the city has been emptied of residents with stable purchasing power, such as civil servants and humanitarian workers. SMEs are left with a resilient but impoverished population, limiting their operational flexibility. In this context of chronic insecurity, this study seeks to understand how SMEs adapt to the effects of war and what resilience strategies they implement to survive and grow. The objective is to analyze the mechanisms adopted by SMEs in Goma to cope with the impacts of conflict and ensure their sustainability. The literature review explores resilience through four lenses: crisis-context strategies, the role of leadership, SME resilience in conflict zones, and post-crisis performance. A mixed-methods approach-combining qualitative and quantitative techniques-is favored to gain a comprehensive understanding of the realities faced by local economic actors. Keywords: War - Resilience - Smes.