In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Goma, now in the hands of M23 rebels, the crisis is getting worse for internally displaced people, the United Nations said.
Resettlement camps in and around Goma host some 4 million people who have fled years of violence in eastern Congo, including fighting between Congolese government forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 troops in the Masisi, Rutshuru and Nyiragongo territories.
Within Goma itself, an estimated 696,000 internally displaced people shelter in the camps. Now, the M23 leaders have ordered them to leave and return to their homes.
The United Nations accused M23 of forcibly closing refugee settlements and displacing more than 110,000 people in a matter of days.
M23 rebel spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka claimed the accusations are “propaganda” and said the people were leaving Goma voluntarily:
“Contrary to the propaganda of the Kinshasa regime, amplified by certain biased media outlets, internally displaced persons (IDPs) are voluntarily returning to their now-secured homes in liberated areas.”
That is false.
The U.N. partners on the ground in Goma reported that on Feb. 10, the M23 issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the internally displaced people to leave Goma and return to their villages. A day later, the M23 rebels started dismantling the refugee settlements and forcing displaced people to flee.
“This situation leads to the loss of humanitarian infrastructure at the sites, including border facilities, health centers and cholera treatment centers, resulting in significant losses of humanitarian investments and reduced response capacities,” Jens Laerke, spokesperson for OCHA, the U.N humanitarian affairs office, said on Feb. 11.
The internally displaced people in one of the settlement camps in Goma told Al Jazeera an “M23 colonel had entered the site and ordered them to leave within three days.”
The M23 rebels captured the mineral rich city of Goma in eastern DRC on Jan. 29.
Their claim that people are returning to their “now-secured homes in liberated areas” is misleading.
Most of the displaced people living in the camps have nowhere to go, their homes having been destroyed. The U.N. says they are now seeking refuge in the areas that M23 does not control, expanding the humanitarian crisis.
M23’s claim that its rebels have “liberated” the areas they’ve captured is also misleading. The reality is that over 2 million people living in those territories face violence and severe restrictions. Residents reported being trapped under the control of M23 rebels who have cut off much-needed humanitarian assistance and closed all the roads leading in and out of Goma, including the Goma International Airport.
M23 offensive on Bukavu
In that same statement, the M23 spokesperson claimed that the group has decided to advance on the city of Bukavu, because it has “heard the desperate cries of the civilian population in Bukavu” where the Congolese troops and its allied forces “have continued to commit unspeakable atrocities against civilians, including assassinations and widespread looting.”
That claim is not factual either.
The M23 rebels started a new offensive on Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, after the DRC authorities refused to engage with them, terming the M23 a terrorist group.
Moreover, South Kivu, home to various ethnic groups such as Shi, Fuliiru, Bashi and Baraga, largely opposes M23 rebels.
Reuters reported on Feb. 11 that “further fighting in the South Kivu province would also add to fears of a broader war due to the presence of Burundian troops, backing up Congo, and reports of more Rwandan troops gathering at the border to support the M23.”
While Congolese forces and the rebels have been accused of human rights abuses, rights watchdogs say, the M23 may have committed war crimes.
The United States and U.N. sanctioned M23 in January 2013 for committing mass killings, sexual violence against women and girls, and other human rights atrocities.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch said in 2023, “the M23 armed group has committed summary executions and forced recruitment of civilians in eastern DRC.”
