As violence from rebels escalates further in eastern Congo, millions of people are forced into a deathly dilemma-between fleeing deeper inside the country and seeking refuge in neighbouring Rwanda, which is accused of supporting the insurgents. Rebels of the M23 have already made significant strides, including the capture of Goma, the region’s biggest city, creating serious questions over the ability of the Congolese military to protect civilians.
A displaced widow, Francine Nsengiyumva, lives in a makeshift shelter in Goma with her three children. “We will only return when there is peace,” Nsengiyumva said, while cooking beans over an open fire. As is the case for many people, she does not want to return to her village of Nzulo, fearing the rebel forces are still killing and terrorizing civilians.
The violence also witnessed a terrifying increase in rape cases, leaving women like Floride Furaha with horrific memories. Furaha and others run away because their families are attacked, and increasingly, the cases of rape escalate. Human rights organizations, like Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), have even warned that in North Kivu province where Goma falls, sexual violation is becoming too rampant.
United Nations have recently accused M23 rebels of serious human rights abuses, also accusing the military of the Republic of Congo, while death tolls from clashes in Goma and its outlying areas climbed sharply to 773 people confirmed dead and around 3,000 injured as per Congolese authorities. The conflict ravaging the area for decades fails to ease any further, considering the ongoing combat in South Kivu just nearby.
In the midst of all this, the displaced population awaits uncertain futures since both parties involved in the conflict seem entrenched and unwilling to budge.