DR Congo: Escalating Clashes in Goma Prompt Mass Exodus

Thousands of people are fleeing their homes in the towns and villages surrounding Goma as clashes between the Congolese army and M23 rebels escalate. Goma, the largest town in the area, has become the focal point of this mass exodus.

Residents of neighboring villages, like Olive Luanda from Sake, recount harrowing scenes of soldiers abandoning their posts, prompting civilians to flee in fear of the advancing M23 fighters. The safety of the city is far from guaranteed, with recent days seeing rockets raining down on the city’s outskirts, causing no casualties.

Alain Bauma, a 29-year-old resident forced to abandon his home in Sake, encapsulated the profound sense of uncertainty and displacement gripping the fleeing population. The inability of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi to quell the violence despite his reelection in December raises doubts about the government’s capacity to restore peace.

The United Nations echos Tshisekedi’s claims for providing military support to the M23 rebels, despite Rwanda’s vehement denial. As the conflict escalates and displacement surges, the future remains uncertain for the people of Goma and its surrounding areas, trapped in a cycle of violence with no end in sight.