Rebels surround the strategically important trading city of Goma in Congo. Two million people have almost nothing left to eat. There are fears that the war will spill over into neighboring countries.
Every night, when the noise of the city falls silent, you can hear it: the roar of fighter jets circling in the sky, the boom of guns being fired from tanks. The population of Goma, the eastern Congolese metropolis of millions, is traumatized. People are in survival mode, every single day.
The provincial capital in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, right on the border with neighboring Rwanda, is actually a trading center: potatoes, coffee and cheese are usually exported from here to the entire region. During peacetime, minerals and rare earths find their way onto the world market via Goma. But the trading city has been surrounded for more than a week now. The well-trained rebels of the M23 (March 23rd Movement) have taken over the volcanic mountains around them and sealed off the few trade routes. No truck, car or motorcycle is allowed in or out, nor is any food grown in the surrounding area. Now the prices are increasing every day. Gas stations and markets are almost empty. For many it’s just enough for one meal a day, for some not even that.
War has been raging in Congo for almost three years now. He has already forced over six million people to flee. Hundreds of thousands have fled in the past few days alone before the rebels took over the area around Goma. The fighting in the mountains north of the metropolis destroyed the fields and houses of the farming families there. They had to flee to Goma. They have built homes on angular lava rock on the outskirts of the city using branches and holey tarpaulins. Your situation is catastrophic. They suffer from malnutrition and illnesses, aid organizations report.
The fear of a regional war
But not only is the humanitarian situation worsening every day, the military situation is also becoming more and more precarious. Diplomats fear that the conflict could spread to surrounding countries and, as in the late 1990s, a major African war could arise from the Congo.
There are enough signs. Last weekend, a combat drone that, according to Congolese sources, was fired from neighboring Rwanda, tore apart numerous aircraft at the international airport in Goma and caused enormous damage. Since the city can no longer be reached by land, everything now has to be transported in by plane or boat across Lake Kivu, including military equipment and soldiers. According to UN investigations, the Congolese M23 rebels who have now encircled Goma are supported by Rwanda. The drone attack was apparently intended to make air supplies impossible.
Congo’s army, on the other hand, has been so dilapidated for decades that it cannot compete with the M23. The M23 fighters from the Tutsi ethnic group are the best trained of the more than a hundred militias in eastern Congo – and also have modern weapons. That’s why Congo’s army leadership has bought in support in the past two years, since the M23 has conquered more and more territory: in the jungle, all of the smaller militias were brought together to form a coalition – called Wazalendo, translated: Patriots). Equipped with uniforms and weapons, they were sent to the front against the M23.
Mercenaries were hired from abroad: Romanian and Bulgarian companies sent private security forces. The friendly neighboring country Burundi has sent thousands of soldiers and as part of a defense mandate from the SADC (South African Development Community), of which Congo is a member, over 3,000 soldiers from South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania have been stationed. There are also UN peacekeepers from the UN mission (MONUSCO) stationed in the Congo, which is currently in the process of withdrawing after more than 20 years. All of these units are now trying to defend the strategically important city of Goma shoulder to shoulder, but they also have to take losses.
At the same time, Congo’s President Felix Tschisekedi, who was only re-elected in December, is threatening a large-scale counteroffensive – including against Rwanda. In a heated campaign speech, he even compared his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame to Adolf Hitler.
Last minute arrangements?
For the population of Goma – right on the border with Rwanda – this means surviving under siege by thousands and thousands of troops who also have to be supplied and make the streets unsafe at night. Just a few days ago, regular Congolese soldiers and Wazalendo militiamen fought internal battles in Goma over supplies of food and ammunition. At the same time, there is panic that the M23 rebels could storm the city, which currently has almost two million inhabitants and displaced people, again at any time. Many remember 2012, when the same rebels took Goma in a surprise attack and occupied it for ten days. The defeated army ran away in all directions. On the way, the beaten soldiers looted the houses of the residents and raped hundreds of demoralized women. There was total chaos.
In order to avert further escalation, numerous mediation attempts have been made in recent days. At an emergency UN Security Council conference in New York on Tuesday to mark the Congo crisis, the US government and France called on Rwanda to immediately stop supporting the M23. Last weekend, all heads of state in the region met at the headquarters of the African Union in Ethiopia’s capital Adis Ababa and tried to mediate between Congo’s President Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Kagame. However, there was no direct meeting between the two and all attempts at mediation failed. Now the people of Goma are holding their breath.