Fear Grips Goma Camp as M23 Rebels Demand Evacuation

Residents of a displacement camp in Goma are living in fear as M23 rebels demand their evacuation, raising concerns over safety and worsening humanitarian conditions in the region.

On Tuesday, the echoes of hammering and the clinks of corrugated metal roofs reverberated through Goma’s Bulengo camp for internally displaced persons as residents started dismantling their long-occupied shelters.

They reported that the M23 rebels, who are allegedly supported by Rwanda, moved through the camp on Saturday and instructed them to evacuate within three days.

Just weeks earlier, M23 had taken control of Goma, a vital city in eastern Congo that has long served as a refuge for those fleeing persistent violence.

Camps located in and around Goma are home to hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals, many of whom have had to flee conflict multiple times during their lives.

Sibomana Safari, once a resident of the Bulengo camp, trudged through the area with his belongings weighing heavily on his back.

“I’m uncertain about how we’ll make it through. I have kids, and being told to leave without anything for them is truly distressing,” he shared.

After seizing control of Goma, M23 leaders declared intentions to reopen schools and restore the interrupted water supply.

As bodies from the conflict piled up in the streets and Red Cross workers grappled with handling the situation, residents were directed to continue their daily routines.

Nevertheless, uncertainty continued to loom over the future of those already in vulnerable positions.

Before the M23 took control of Goma, the eastern provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu were already home to more than 4 million displaced individuals.

On Tuesday morning, Vincent Bauma dismantled his modest shelter with only a hammer at Goma’s Lushagala camp as other residents looked on.

“The authorities have instructed us to demolish our small homes and return, yet we are uncertain about how we’ll make it back. Peace remains elusive,” he remarked.

Oonagh Curry, who serves as an emergency coordinator for Doctors Without Borders in Goma, voiced her concerns about the swift departure of individuals from the camps and wondered where they might end up.

“It is important to keep in mind that a sudden change in population can exacerbate the current humanitarian crisis,” she noted.

Kwimana Sifa looked exhausted as she gradually took apart her shelter.

“Our homes have been destroyed by bombs, leaving us with nowhere to go,” she said.

“It would be better for us to stay here,” Sifa continued. “Even without food, at least we have some shelter.”