royal circle club Family Escaping Violence In Eastern Congo Faces Despair As Rebels Seize More Territory

Congo Violence | Photo: AP/Moses Sawasawa Congo Violence | Photo: AP/Moses Sawasawa

None of Zawadi Sifa’s seven children have known life without fear and the constant threat of violence. Her story mirrors that of thousands of other families displaced by violence in eastern Congo, where Rwanda-backed rebels last month seized the key city of Goma, spreading their footprint in a blitz offensive in the mineral-rich region, news agency AP reported.

“Each time I give birth ... we are fleeing,” Sifa said as she rocked a baby, her youngest, in her arms.

Several weeks ago, the M23 rebels—one of over 100 armed groups competing for control in eastern Congo—began advancing toward Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, marking a significant escalation in their ongoing conflict with government forces. Sifa’s family initially sought refuge in a displacement camp in Sake, another town that soon fell under rebel control. They then relocated to a camp on the outskirts of Goma, but as the rebels pushed closer, they moved again, seeking shelter in a parish deeper within the city, where they joined hundreds of others.

M23 Rebel Attacked

Last week, the M23 rebels declared Goma to be firmly under their control, moving to solidify their hold over the city. As basic services like water and electricity were gradually restored, and schools and shops began reopening, aid workers scrambled to clear bodies from the streets under the watchful eyes of M23 patrols. Since late January, the violence has claimed around 3,000 lives, with nearly as many people injured.

The conflict in Congo, which has raged for decades, remains one of Africa’s longest and most devastating wars. It has displaced 4.6 million people and is considered by the United Nations as one of the world’s most prolonged and complex humanitarian crises.

Even before the fighting escalated last month, Goma, a vital humanitarian hub near the Rwandan border, was home to 700,000 displaced people.

In the last two weeks, the surrounding displacement camps—where over 300,000 people had sought refuge—were heavily bombarded by the ongoing clashes between the rebels and the army, according to UNHCR spokesperson Matt Saltmarsh. This forced many, like Sifa’s family, to flee once more,aaajili seeking shelter in churches, schools, offices, or with host families. However, those displaced, including Sifa, feel their struggles are far from over. The International Organization for Migration has warned that the worsening violence is deepening an already dire humanitarian crisis. "Millions of people were already displaced by years of conflict... and humanitarian needs were massive," the IOM stated. "With the current alarming upsurge in fighting, the situation is rapidly becoming even worse."

Sifa’s story is one of repeated displacement. She first fled her village of Kasharo in 2012, eventually returning, only to flee again with her family two years ago when fighting escalated. They initially took refuge in Sake, but when M23 seized the town last month, they moved to a new camp in Rusayo, just outside Goma. When fighting once again drew near, they sought shelter at a parish within the city.

At first, the family stayed in the parish school, but later they were told to leave and sleep outside. When the rebels declared themselves the new authority in the area, the local priest asked them to return to their original homes. The priest declined to comment when approached by The Associated Press.

Aid workers are deeply concerned about the safety of those displaced, with many returning to areas that remain unsafe or lack basic necessities. "Many of these places are still conflict zones or lack basic services like housing, clean water," said Rose Tchwenko, country director for Mercy Corps. 

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However, UN human rights experts dispute the claims that these areas are safe to return to, particularly for women and girls, amid reports of sexual violence, targeted killings, forced conscription, and arbitrary arrests. 

The development may aggravate the condition of over 16.28 lakh people in 13 districts, who were already affected by inundation following heavy rain.

On Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres issued an urgent appeal to the rebels and their Rwandan supporters, urging them to “silence the guns” and halt the escalating violence. He emphasized that there is no military solution to the conflict. “It is time for mediation. It is time to end this crisis. It is time for peace,” Guterres said, noting he would travel to Ethiopia next week for a conference where the crisis would be addressed.

With inputs from AP.royal circle club