DR Congo: Missionary describes chaos in Goma, with “many dead and refugee camps under attack”
Two weeks after the M23 armed group attacked the city of Goma, there is still fighting in the province of North Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, leading to a worsening of the humanitarian conditions in the region. A missionary in the country tells ACN that over 2,000 people have been killed, and that the hospitals are overrun with wounded. Even refugee camps have been attacked.
The province of North Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is facing a terrible humanitarian crisis, two weeks after the M23 rebel group, which is supported by Rwanda, occupied the provincial capital of Goma.
“The city of Goma is still in a state of conflict between Congolese army and the M23. Over 2,000 people have been killed, and there are thousands of wounded. The hospitals are crowded, and the refugee camps have been attacked as well,” says Fr Marcelo Oliveira, a Portuguese Comboni missionary in the region, in a message sent to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
“The goal of the M23 is to take the city of Goma, which plays a major role in the life of the country,” he adds.
During the fighting, many prisoners were able to escape the men’s wing of the central prison. Tragically, many of these escapees attacked the women’s wing, raping more than a hundred inmates. “Many women and children have been killed. In the midst of the confusion, some prisoners have also set fire to the facilities, and many have not managed to escape the flames,” says the priest.
A suffering Church
The situation is extremely serious, and there is even a risk that the M23 forces might advance to South Kivu. Diplomatic efforts have been underway to secure a cease-fire, to protect the civilian population, and on Thursday, 6 February, the secretary-general of the United Nations called for an end to the conflict, saying that “the stakes are too high” for it to continue.
Father Marcelo points out that it is currently almost impossible to get emergency aid to the population: “The airport is closed, the control tower was vandalised, hardware was stolen. We suppose there might still be unexploded ordinance, so there will have to be a careful survey to see if they can reopen it, as it is the only way to get humanitarian aid into the city.”
The Portuguese priest stresses that “in the midst of this it is always the people who suffer, and the Church suffers with them, facing great difficulties, with people constantly having to run from their homes. Not even the refugee camps are safe.”
Faced with this situation, the Church cannot remain silent, he adds: “The Church continues to be with the people, like the Good Shepherd who accompanies his flock and does not leave them to the wolves. So, our presence continues, with the people, trying to be a sign of hope in the midst of the anguish and the pain. We keep our eyes set on Jesus, leading his people.” Nonetheless, the missionary recalls that “we are in a jubilee year, we are pilgrims of hope, and the Church continues to be that sign of hope”.
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