Chaos Reigns in Goma as M23 Rebels Establish Control

The eastern city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become a conflict zone after M23 rebels captured it, leading to significant casualties and an overwhelmed healthcare system. Residents express fear and uncertainty as they navigate life under rebel control.

As residents of Goma negotiate their new reality under the M23 rebel group's control, the aftermath of the swift takeover continues to haunt the city. The once-bustling streets are filled with fear and uncertainty as people go about their daily routines in a zone now dominated by armed fighters.

Dr. Nathaniel Cirho, a local physician who became a victim of the violence, recounted his harrowing experience after a bomb exploded next door, resulting in injuries for multiple neighbors. “I sustained an injury on my arm. A 65-year-old man was injured on his abdomen. After surgery, he didn't survive,” Cirho lamented from his hospital bed. Within city hospitals, the sounds of crying and distress fill the air as they are inundated with casualties from recent conflicts.

Reports indicate that M23’s agenda, which they claim is centered on the rights of ethnic Tutsis, is suspected to be driven more by a desire for control of the region’s lucrative mineral resources. Following their recent advance, over 700 lives were reported lost and thousands injured, as Goma fell into their hands with little resistance from government forces, creating a void that rebels quickly filled.

Inside hospitals, overwhelmed medical staff struggle to handle the influx of patients inflicted with gunshot wounds and shrapnel injuries. One doctor mentioned that, during a peak treatment day alone, they received over 315 patients, but the number has since escalated to over 700. Reports of sexual violence as a weapon of war have emerged, with the UN urging international attention to the perilous situation unfolding in the region.

In the city, residents are trying to resume normalcy despite the ongoing tension. Shops are slowly reopening, but the economic impact of the violence is evident, with many traders fleeing to neighboring countries and major banks still shuttered. Businessman Sammy Matabishi expressed his fears, stating, “People are afraid… those who caused the tension are still with us.”

As M23 rebels parade through Goma unchallenged, the absence of Congolese soldiers is stark. Most military personnel either abandoned their posts or transformed into civilians in the face of the rebel advance. The Congolese government continues to assert that Goma is not fully in M23's grasp, while Rwanda's complicity remains a debated point, now being acknowledged in a more restrained manner by its government.

With tensions boiling and M23 rebels reportedly moving further south towards Bukavu, Goma paints a grim picture of what could lie ahead for other urban centers in the DRC. The broader region of North Kivu finds itself at a crossroads, teetering on the edge of deeper upheaval as the international community watches closely.