{"id":1764,"date":"2025-02-07T11:20:32","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T19:20:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/globalhealthjustice\/?p=1764"},"modified":"2025-02-21T19:34:28","modified_gmt":"2025-02-22T03:34:28","slug":"an-abyss-of-suffering-the-daily-account-of-a-goma-resident-amid-the-m23-invasion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/globalhealthjustice\/an-abyss-of-suffering-the-daily-account-of-a-goma-resident-amid-the-m23-invasion\/","title":{"rendered":"An Abyss of Suffering: The Daily Account of a Goma Resident Amid the M23 Invasion"},"content":{"rendered":"
This article is written in French and English. For the English version, please see below.<\/em><\/h5>\n

 <\/p>\n

La version fran\u00e7aise<\/i><\/strong><\/h5>\n

Le 25 janvier au matin, le Mouvement du 23 mars (M23), milice soutenue par le Rwanda, a envahi Goma, la plus grande ville de l’est de la R\u00e9publique d\u00e9mocratique du Congo (RDC). Le Bureau de la coordination des affaires humanitaires des Nations unies estime qu’au moins 3 000 personnes ont \u00e9t\u00e9 tu\u00e9es depuis que les rebelles du M23 se sont empar\u00e9s de Goma, que 2 880 personnes ont \u00e9t\u00e9 bless\u00e9es et que pr\u00e8s de 100 000 personnes ont \u00e9t\u00e9 d\u00e9plac\u00e9es. Les h\u00f4pitaux de Goma sont d\u00e9bord\u00e9s et le Programme alimentaire mondial avertit que les r\u00e9serves de nourriture sont dangereusement basses parce que le M23 interf\u00e8re avec les livraisons d’aide. Il y a un manque d’eau propre et les coupures d’\u00e9lectricit\u00e9 entravent les activit\u00e9s humanitaires et de sant\u00e9 publique essentielles.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

L\u2019invasion r\u00e9cente suit pr\u00e8s de 40 ans de conflit en RDC, et la r\u00e9cente prise de contr\u00f4le et l’extraction ill\u00e9gale des minerais de la RDC par le M23 a exacerb\u00e9 des violations des droits humaines. Justin Mulindwa, \u00e9tudiant en droit \u00e0 l\u2019universit\u00e9 de Goma, activiste et humanitaire congolais, illustre l’\u00e9tat actuel de Goma :<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00ab Les rues sereines et reposantes, sans bruit de motos ou voitures comme nous l’avons toujours observ\u00e9, sont d\u00e9sormais silencieuses. \u200b\u200bToutes les boutiques sont ferm\u00e9es, et la plupart d’entre elles ont \u00e9t\u00e9 pill\u00e9es r\u00e9cemment, sous le regard complice des rebelles du M23. \u00bb<\/span><\/p>\n

Mulindwa continue \u00e0 d\u00e9crire ce qu’endure une personne d\u00e9plac\u00e9e pendant une journ\u00e9e apr\u00e8s l’invasion de Goma par les rebelles du M23.<\/span><\/p>\n

09 h 00, au r\u00e9veil <\/b>:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00ab Le son des balles a conquis nos avenues et s’est transform\u00e9 en m\u00e9lodie qui r\u00e9sonne dans le ciel depuis quelques jours \u00e0 Goma. \u00bb\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

10 h 00, une accalmie dans les tirs <\/b>:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00ab Lorsque nous avons per\u00e7u une l\u00e9g\u00e8re accalmie \u2026 nous avons atteint un carrefour nomm\u00e9 Kihisi toujours au nord de Goma. L\u00e0, nous avons aper\u00e7u des rebelles, environ 40 \u00e0 50 membres du M23, nous avons pris peur imm\u00e9diatement. Nous avons donc pris directement la d\u00e9cision de retourner \u00e0 la maison.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mais, certaines personnes \u00e0 la recherche de nourriture \u00e9taient en chemin, et il n’y avait aucune activit\u00e9 qui puisse apporter du r\u00e9confort. Depuis quelques jours, la ville de Goma traverse une situation chaotique et pr\u00e9occupante due \u00e0 un manque d’eau dans tous les quartiers. \u00bb\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

15 h 00, les organisateurs communautaires se mettent en contact <\/b>:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00ab Au sein d’un groupe WhatsApp de jeunes engag\u00e9s dans des actions humanitaires, solidaires et de d\u00e9veloppement communautaire en ville de Goma, un participant pr\u00e9sent actuellement \u00e0 Goma a transmis un message qui allait dans ce sens :\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Salut famille, j’esp\u00e8re que tout va bien de notre c\u00f4t\u00e9, \u00e7a ira peut-\u00eatre. Les tirs des balles qui sifflent sans cesse de temps \u00e0 autre sont toujours pr\u00e9sents dans notre quartier. Cependant, nous avons d\u00e9sormais la possibilit\u00e9 de d\u00e9ambuler un peu dans nos rues et boulevards, malgr\u00e9 le risque de rencontrer quelques \u00e9l\u00e9ments arm\u00e9s du wazalendo qui se cachent dans les avenues.\u2019 \u00bb<\/span><\/p>\n

Mulindwa conclut par un message puissant sur son espoir pour l’avenir de Goma.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00ab Effectivement, j’ai pass\u00e9 une grande partie de ma vie dans cette ville. J’y ai beaucoup observ\u00e9, malgr\u00e9 sa noirceur apparente. Cette ville a cependant su faire rayonner en moi une r\u00e9silience profonde, alimentant la flamme de mon espoir jusqu’\u00e0 son ultime manifestation dans toutes mes activit\u00e9s entreprises. Oui, j’ai foi en cette ville. Un jour, elle se rel\u00e8vera. \u00bb<\/span><\/p>\n

Le t\u00e9moignage de Mulindwa illustre la r\u00e9alit\u00e9 intenable de la vie en \u00e9tat de si\u00e8ge, ainsi que la r\u00e9silience des Congolais qui refusent d’abandonner leur pays.<\/span> Alors que Goma subit une nouvelle vague de violence dans le cadre du conflit qui d\u00e9chire la RDC depuis des d\u00e9cennies, le r\u00f4le des milices soutenues par le Rwanda et des acteurs internationaux qui les soutiennent ne peut \u00eatre ignor\u00e9. Cette crise n’est pas seulement r\u00e9gionale, mais aussi mondiale, parce qu\u2019elle est motiv\u00e9e par la demande des ressources naturelles de la RDC, essentielles \u00e0 la technologie qui alimente la vie quotidienne dans le monde entier. La souffrance de civils innocents en RDC est la cons\u00e9quence directe d’un march\u00e9 mondial qui donne la priorit\u00e9 au profit plut\u00f4t qu’aux personnes. Aucun pays ne peut pr\u00e9tendre \u00e0 l’innocence tant que l’exploitation des ressources alimente la violence.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

English version<\/i><\/strong><\/h5>\n

On the morning of January 25, the Rwanda-backed militia group March 23 Movement (M23) invaded Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo\u2019s (DRC) largest city. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that at least 3,000 people have been killed since M23 rebels seized Goma, with estimates of 2,880 injured and up to 100,000 displaced. Hospitals in Goma are overwhelmed and the World Food Programme warns that food supplies are dangerously low as M23 interferes with aid deliveries. Safe water is scarce and electricity outages obstruct essential public health and humanitarian activities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The recent invasion follows nearly 40 years of ongoing conflict in the DRC, with M23\u2019s recent seizure and illegal extraction of the DRC\u2019s minerals leading to a further intensification of human rights violations. Justin Mulindwa, a law student at the University of Goma, activist, and humanitarian, illustrates the current state of Goma:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStreets are deserted, shops looted, and people struggle to find food and water. M23 rebels now control the city, justifying mass looting under false pretences, leaving residents in fear and chaos.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mulindwa continues to describe a day in the life of an internally-displaced person after M23 rebels invade Goma.<\/span><\/p>\n

9:00 a.m., upon waking up<\/b>:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis morning, once again, our alarm clock was the crackling of gunfire.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

10:00 a.m.,<\/b> a lull in the shooting:<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a brief moment of calm set in\u2026 we decided to step out onto \u2026 an intersection called Kihisi. There, we saw about 40 to 50 M23 rebels. Panic took hold of us immediately, and we made the swift decision to return home.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, some people, desperate for food, were out searching. But there was nothing \u2013 no sign of activity that could bring any comfort. For days, Goma has been grappling with a severe water shortage affecting all neighborhoods.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3:00 p.m.<\/b>, community organizers reach out<\/strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn a WhatsApp group of young volunteers engaged in humanitarian and community development work in Goma, a message was shared:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Hello family, I hope you are all doing well. Maybe things will get better. The sound of gunfire continues to ring in our neighborhood from time to time. However, we can now move a little in the streets, despite the risk of encountering armed Wazalendo elements hiding in the alleys.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mulindwa concludes with a powerful message about his hope for Goma\u2019s future.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed, I have spent much of my life in this city. I have witnessed its suffering, yet even in darkness, Goma has illuminated my resilience, nurturing the flame of hope that fuels my every endeavour. Yes, I have faith in this city. One day, it will rise again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mulindwa\u2019s testimony captures the horrific reality of life under siege, as well as the resilience of Congolese people who refuse to give up on their country. As Goma endures yet another wave of violence in the decades-long conflict in the DRC, the role of Rwanda-backed militia groups, and the international actors enabling them, cannot be ignored. This crisis is not only regional but also global, driven by the demand for the DRC\u2019s vast natural resources essential for the technology that powers daily life worldwide. The suffering of innocent civilians in the DRC is the direct consequence of a global market that prioritizes profit over people. No country can claim innocence as long as resource exploitation fuels violence.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Read Mulindwa\u2019s full article <\/span>here<\/span><\/a> \/ Lisez l’article complet de Mulindwa <\/span>ici<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

References<\/b>
\n<\/b>DR Congo: Rights chief warns crisis could worsen, without international action<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>Hospitals overwhelmed in DR Congo, food running out: Goma faces \u2018devastation\u2019<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Image<\/span><\/i>: Cyrile Ndegeya\/Anadolu via AFP <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This article is written in French and English. For the English version, please see below.   La version fran\u00e7aise Le 25 janvier au matin, le Mouvement du 23 mars (M23), milice soutenue par le Rwanda, a envahi Goma, la plus grande ville de l’est de la R\u00e9publique d\u00e9mocratique du Congo (RDC). Le Bureau de la coordination des affaires humanitaires des Nations unies estime qu’au moins 3 000 personnes ont \u00e9t\u00e9 tu\u00e9es depuis que les rebelles du M23 se sont empar\u00e9s…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":1765,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[159,108,160,92,93,142,64,24],"media_type_reference":[],"class_list":["post-1764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-war-militarism","tag-drc","tag-geopolitical","tag-goma","tag-human-rights-violations","tag-international-responsibility","tag-political-determinants-of-health","tag-social-determinants-of-health","tag-war"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/globalhealthjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1764","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/globalhealthjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/globalhealthjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/globalhealthjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/globalhealthjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1764"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/globalhealthjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1764\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1802,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/globalhealthjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1764\/revisions\/1802"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/globalhealthjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/globalhealthjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1764"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/globalhealthjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1764"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/globalhealthjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1764"},{"taxonomy":"media_type_reference","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/globalhealthjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type_reference?post=1764"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}