Journalist in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo
Journalist in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo
Renewed fighting between the armed M23 organization and pro-government forces in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has pushed thousands more people into Goma, the largest city in the east and a humanitarian aid hub now surrounded by Rwandan-backed rebels.
Goma’s population was around 1. 5 million, but another 700,000 people have arrived in the last two years of conflict, totaling more than 200,000 in recent weeks as the M23 expands to an unprecedented area.
Displaced people, local and foreign aid workers and citizens of Goma described a collapsed city with enormous tensions, with displacement camps overwhelmed, food costs skyrocketing and fears of an M23 takeover.
“Life here is incredibly confusing, we don’t have tarpaulins or food,” said Prudent Kahindo, 32, who arrived at a camp in Goma with her three children in February. “We pray because other people here are in danger of starvation. “. »
The M23 descends from a long line of insurgent teams from the Democratic Republic of Congo subsidized through neighboring Rwanda. It began in the 1990s, when Rwanda was hunting down Hutu militias that had fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo after committing genocide against Rwandan Tutsis.
The insurgent organization was defeated after its last primary insurgency a decade ago, but revived in Rwanda in late 2021. Rwanda submitted its proposal because it felt that its influence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which it considers its garden, was waning compared to its regional influence. Rivals.
The recent escalation has further undermined confidence in regional mediation efforts led through Angola and Kenya. Meanwhile, European states signed mining, military and asylum agreements with Rwanda to criminalize it, angering many Congolese.
Despite dire humanitarian situations in Goma and beyond, foreign aid agency officials told New Humanitarian that relief teams are struggling to respond comprehensively due to high demands and inadequate levels of investment.
Resources are also limited for the many local projects that the citizens of Goma have launched for willing people, and for the thousands of host families who have opened their doors to welcome uprooted family and friends.
“We come here only because we have a preference for helping others,” said Marie Buhuma, who is part of a local collective called Goma Actif and volunteered last week at a camp for displaced people. “If others also came here with that kind of motivation . . . Maybe we can help a lot of people. “
The number of people displaced by the M23 war is around 1. 7 million; This confrontation is just one of many in the country, still scarred by the legacy of colonial rule, foreign interference after independence, and the continued exploitation of its resources.
The M23 says it will not capture Goma, which is the capital of the war-torn province of North Kivu, but its fighters are on track to do so and have suffocated the city by cutting off most of its roads.
Anne-Sylvie Linder, who works for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Goma, told New Humanitarian that the cost of basic goods such as maize, charcoal and beans has doubled or tripled due to the blockade.
Riziki Christian, a 40-year-old trader at the Kituku market in Goma, said she sells bananas up to six times more expensive due to origin issues. He called on the government to reopen the roads leading to Goma, but argued that peace “is the only solution. “
Meanwhile, civilian casualties have increased in recent weeks as heavy weapons (drones, surface-to-air missiles and complicated attack rifles) are used near urban areas, including areas around Goma, which has hosted more displaced people than any other affected location. . by the M23 conflict.
The ICRC’s Linder said his hospital in Goma, one of the few that can perform life-saving surgeries, has lately been “very close” to capacity. According to her, 40 percent of the patients are civilians, mostly women and children. , whereas in the past they were basically combatants.
Local citizens and aid officials said Goma is also an increasingly militarized and damaging place, as the Congolese army and its allies seek to protect the city, as well as areas near the town of Sake, which was attacked via the M23 in February.
In addition to the army and police, the city has security guards hired through Kinshasa, a local defense forces organization known as Wazalendo (meaning “patriots”), U. N. peacekeepers, and a recently deployed South African force.
Analysts say the fighting now resembles a regional conflict, with Rwandan infantrymen fighting along the M23 and troops from southern Africa (Malawi, South Africa and Tanzania), as well as Burundian infantrymen fighting them.
The humanitarian situation is the most serious for the displaced. Although the official camps are already full, many of the other people uprooted by the latest clashes have set up tents along roads or in residents’ gardens, or set up shop in makeshift camps.
Janvier Luanda Mukuba, head of one of the displacement camps, which is housed in a Pentecostal church and houses about 45,000 other people, said the displaced lack food and have to go to a mobile clinic only a few hours a day.
“Our scenario is still confusing because we have replaced our way of life,” Mukuba said. “We used to live in our own homes. But after the war, we gave up all our possessions and our occupations: teachers, farmers, shepherds. .
Zawadi Havugimana, a 28-year-old mother of four who lives in the same place, said she gave birth in February, a day before she had to flee her home. He said he was able to thank other displaced people and the other people of Goma for their help.
“I am worried about my children’s health because cholera has come to this camp,” Havugimana told The New Humanitarian. “That is why we are advocating for the return of peace. When we have peace, we will live well.
The increased presence of armed men in Goma — from the Wazalendo to the Congolese army and its contractors — is having a major impact on displaced people, especially women and girls, aid officials and camp citizens said.
Many camps are close to national parks and camps where women and women venture out to collect firewood or food for their families. According to medical organizations, many other people have been raped by armed men, with no clear affiliations.
Men inside the camps are also arbitrarily detained or assaulted, according to aid workers who spoke to The New Humanitarian. According to them, the culprits are soldiers, police officers and members of the Wazalendo alliance.
Mukuba said another challenge in his camp is that displaced infantrymen and their families live alongside civilians. He said foot soldiers should not be expelled from the church, but under pressure that “their presence causes trauma” in people.
Increasing militarization and a lack of trust are also affecting foreign aid agencies in Goma, said Emilie Vonck, country director in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the U. S. -based NGO Mercy Corps, which works in part in a dozen camps around the city.
“Most of us have had to reduce the amount of time we spend in the camps to try and keep our teams safe,” Vonck told The New Humanitarian, explaining that concerns had been raised with Congolese authorities.
Malinvestment is also affecting relief efforts, and not just for the M23 conflict: across the country, more than seven million Congolese have been displaced by violence, and about a quarter of the other hundred million people face severe hunger.
“On a global scale, the amount of money spent on the crisis and the desires in the DRC . . . they’re shrinking year after year,” Vonck said. “This is a notoriously worrisome trend given that desires are going in the other direction. “
Given the limitations of foreign aid and the lack of help from the Congolese government, the other inhabitants of Goma have introduced several interventions of their own, either as groups of undeniable supporters or through self-help networks and local NGOs.
The Goma Active collective, which in 2020 caused the COVID-19 pandemic, has been helping displaced people in the camps for more than two years, said Marie Buhuma, the volunteer.
Speaking to The New Humanitarian while organising a porridge distribution and a playday for young people at the Pentecostal church, Buhuma said she herself had been displaced as a child and was looking to “put a smile on the face” of those affected by the ongoing conflict. .
Volunteers from a local NGO called AGIR-DRC also came to the church, who also prepared porridge while singing, dancing and organizing games for the displaced children.
Lucie Banyanga, one of AGIR-DRC’s volunteers, said the organization prepares porridge for several hundred people each day, but struggles to sustain its efforts due to a lack of resources.
“We keep asking for funds. . . and goodwill to help, because everything counts and can help young people get porridge,” Banyanga said. “When young people see us, they are very happy. . . Our presence gives them hope. “
Annie Bashonga, a camp resident who has five children and was separated from her husband on a chaotic flight to Goma, called the volunteers “saviors” but said what the displaced really want is for the fighting to stop.
“Even if we get donations, the ultimate is the return of peace,” Bashonga told the New Humanitarian. My dream is to see my children return to a normal life. “
Edited and with additional reporting by Philip Kleineld
Get the day’s headlines delivered to your inbox every morning
Starting at just $5 per month, you can become a member of The New Humanitarian and receive our premium newsletter, DAWNS Digest.
DAWNS Digest has been the trusted morning read for global aid and foreign policy professionals for more than 10 years.
Governments, media, global governance organizations, NGOs, academics, and many more subscribe to DAWNS to get the world’s top news and research headlines in their inbox every weekday morning.
It’s the best way to start the day.
Become a member of The New Humanitarian today and automatically subscribe to DAWNS Digest, for free.