North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo struggles with conflict and humanitarian crisis, warns military governor-Xinhua

The photo taken on April 11, 2024 shows a Congolese army soldier standing guard in Goma, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Mired in 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), faces a situation ” worrying” and “unpredictable,” warned the military governor of the province, Peter Chirimwami.

GOMA, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 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 the east of the Republic Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is dealing with a “worrying” and “unpredictable” situation, warned the province’s military governor, Peter Chirimwami.

Photo taken on April 11, 2024 shows a Congolese army soldier playing the trumpet in Goma, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

“Worrying” and “unpredictable” SITUATION

Chirimwami made the comments in a recent interview with Xinhua in Goma, the provincial capital, where fighting has raged for years between the DRC army and multiple armed groups, leading to one of the worst crises. humanitarian organizations of the world.

According to Chirimwami, the rebel group known as the March 23 Movement (M23) has been advancing and strengthening its front lines, 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 around 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of North Kivu and Ituri have been under a state of siege since May 2021, during which the civil administration has been replaced by military and police authorities.

Despite joint operations with the Ugandan armies, government forces have not been able to stop the advance of 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 municipality considered the last barrier to Goma, both located in the southern part of the province.

Fresh clashes were reported early in the morning on several hills overlooking Sake on Wednesday, and heavy and light weapons fire was heard throughout the city of Goma.

On May 3, five rockets fell on several displaced persons camps along the Goma-Sake axis, killing at least 18 displaced people, mostly women and children, according to the United Nations. The organization warned that the shelters in the area are highly exposed to high 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 UNDER SIEGE”

With the main roads between Goma and its surroundings closed by the M23, the city, which is home to around two million people, has seen its population increase for several months due to the wave of displaced people and is now on the brink of suffocation. Despite the appearance of calm on the ground, the situation on the front is far from peaceful.

“All exits are practically blocked by the M23,” Chirimwami said, noting that the province “only has one exit left,” Lake Kivu, where civilian boats plying between Goma and some villages in neighboring Kivu province. South are within artillery range. the M23.

“We are almost under siege. But it is not very serious because we have developed a resilience methodology,” said the major general.

The photo taken on April 11, 2024 shows Congolese army soldiers patrolling 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 trying to capture the provincial capital, is deceiving itself.

“The enemy’s intention is to take control of Goma. They wanted to cut all the arteries to force us out of the city. I think they are wrong because we are here. We are in the city (of Goma),” Chirimwami said.

However, Goma is on edge due to the influx of civilians into displacement camps, which risks exacerbating the already precarious humanitarian crisis, with food supplies severely affected by the advance of the M23.

According to a February 2024 report 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 people in the eastern region, exacerbating an already disastrous situation,” the NRC warned.

The photo taken on April 11, 2024 shows a Congolese army soldier standing guard in Goma, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

“THE DEFENSIVE LINE IS THERE”

With the departure of a regional force deployed by the member countries of the East African Community (EAC), the Democratic Republic of the Congo now depends 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 elaborating on the next plan. “But I know they are doing a good job and will continue to do so.”

Composed mainly of military elements from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi, this SADC force, with an offensive mandate, replaces the EAC regional force from 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 sure that we are capable of resisting.”

After decades of violence and conflict, the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo faces one of the most serious, complex and neglected humanitarian crises in the world, according to the United Nations.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported in March 2024 that two years of cyclical conflict in North Kivu have forced more than 1.3 million people to flee their homes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, causing has caused a total of 5.7 million internally displaced people in 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 people,” Chirimwami stressed. (by Xinhua writers Shi Yu and Alain Uyakani, with contribution from Xinhua correspondent Wang Guansen) ■