Photo taken on April 11, 2024, shows a soldier of the Congolese Army standing guard in Goma, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)
Plunged into conflict with armed rebels and overwhelmed by one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, North Kivu province, the epicenter of hostilities in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is grappling with a "worrisome" and "unpredictable" situation, warned the military governor of the province, Peter Chirimwami.
GOMA, DRC, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Plunged into conflict with armed rebels and overwhelmed by one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, North Kivu province, the epicenter of hostilities in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is grappling with a "worrisome" and "unpredictable" situation, warned the military governor of the province, Peter Chirimwami.
Photo taken on April 11, 2024, shows a soldier of the Congolese Army playing the trumpet in Goma, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)
"WORRISOME" AND "UNPREDICTABLE" SITUATION
Chirimwami made these remarks in a recent interview with Xinhua in Goma, the capital city of the province, where fighting has been ongoing between the DRC military and multiple armed groups for years, leading to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
According to Chirimwami, the rebel group known as the March 23 Movement (M23) has been advancing and strengthening its frontlines, particularly since February, in the southern part of the province. Additionally, the province is facing a resurgence of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), rebels affiliated with the Islamic State group, in the north.
In response to the violence perpetrated by the M23, the ADF and about a hundred other armed groups in the region, the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri have been under a state of siege since May 2021, during which the civilian administration has been replaced by military and police authorities.
Despite joint operations with the Ugandan armies, government forces have been unable to halt the advance of the rebel groups, Chirimwami said. The ADF has recently committed massacres against civilians and kidnappings. The M23 aggression has intensified since February 2024, advancing to Sake, a strategic township considered the last barrier to Goma, both located in the southern part of the province.
On Wednesday, fresh clashes were reported early in the morning on several hills overlooking Sake, with heavy and light weapons fire heard throughout the Goma city.
On May 3, five rockets fell on several displaced camps along the Goma-Sake axis, resulting in the deaths of at least 18 displaced persons, mostly women and children, according to the United Nations. The organization warned that shelters in the area are highly exposed to elevated risks of insecurity and protection.
Photo taken on April 11, 2024, shows the military governor of North Kivu province, Peter Chirimwami, being interviewed in Goma, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)
"WE ARE BESIEGED"
With the main roads between Goma and its surroundings cut off by the M23, the city, home to about two million people, has seen its population increase over several months due to the wave of displaced persons, and is now on the brink of suffocation. Despite the appearance of calm on the ground, the situation on the frontlines is far from peaceful.
"All exits are practically blocked by the M23," Chirimwami said, noting that the province "has only one opening left," Lake Kivu, where civilian boats plying between Goma and a few villages in the neighboring South Kivu province are within artillery range of the M23.
"We are almost besieged. But it is not very serious because we have developed a resilience methodology," said the major general.
Photo taken on April 11, 2024, shows soldiers of the Congolese Army on patrol in Goma, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)
In November 2012, M23 rebels took control of Goma and occupied it for about 10 days. However, Chirimwami believes that the M23, which is once again attempting to capture the provincial capital, is deluding itself.
"The enemy's intention is to take control of Goma. They wanted to cut off all arteries to force us out of the city. I think they are mistaken because we are here. We are in the city (of Goma)," Chirimwami said.
Nevertheless, Goma is on edge due to the influx of civilians into displaced camps, which risks exacerbating the already precarious humanitarian crisis, with food supplies heavily affected by the M23's advance.
According to a report in February 2024 by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), a humanitarian organization, the fighting threatens to isolate Goma and compromise humanitarian aid to millions of people.
"The progressive isolation of the city hampers the ability of international humanitarian organizations to reach displaced persons in the eastern region, exacerbating an already disastrous situation," the NRC warned.
Photo taken on April 11, 2024, shows a soldier of the Congolese Army standing guard in Goma, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)
"DEFENSIVE LINE IS THERE"
With the departure of a regional force deployed by member countries of the East African Community (EAC), the DRC now relies on joint military operations with the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
"We have SADC with us, so we have a force that allows us to resist for a long time," Chirimwami said, without providing further details about the upcoming plan. "But I know they are doing a good job, and they will continue to do so."
Composed mainly of military elements from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi, this SADC force, with an offensive mandate, has replaced the EAC regional force since January 2024.
"Sake is still under our control. The defensive line is there. We continue to attack the rebels," Chirimwami said. "We and the people are certain that we are capable of resisting."
After decades of violence and conflicts, the eastern part of the DRC is facing one of the most severe, complex and neglected humanitarian crises in the world, according to the United Nations.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees reported in March 2024 that two years of cyclical conflict in North Kivu have forced over 1.3 million people to flee their homes in the DRC, leading to a total of 5.7 million internally displaced persons across the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri.
"With all the crises in the world, it is urgent to resolve the plight of displaced persons," Chirimwami emphasized. (by Xinhua writers Shi Yu and Alain Uyakani, with contribution from Xinhua correspondent Wang Guansen.) ■