It's been a month since rebels seized an eastern Congo city. Goma
residents say they are struggling
[March 01, 2025] By
RUTH ALONGA AND CHINEDU ASADU
GOMA, Congo (AP) — Rwanda-backed rebels captured a key eastern Congo
city a month ago Friday. Residents in Goma, which was once a critical
trade and humanitarian hub, say they are struggling on various fronts
even as the rebels try to consolidate their administration and restart
normal life.
On the streets of Goma, which is close to the border with Rwanda,
economic activities have largely slowed down since the M23 rebels took
over on Jan. 28. Banks are still shut, basic services such as trade are
slowly restarting and thousands displaced by the conflict are desperate
for aid and temporary shelters.
“Finding food has become a real challenge,” said Jeannette Safari, her
face marked by exhaustion and fear.
The 26-year-old mother of one is now making plans to flee to Burundi.
Safari had been working as a civil servant, but with government offices
still not running, making ends meet has been a struggle for thousands of
government workers like her living where the M23 controls, she said.
“Life is cheaper there (in Burundi), and even though I don’t know
exactly how I’ll manage, I’ll make do,” she said.
The city and its environs had hosted more than 500,000 displaced people
in addition to its population of 2 million, before the M23 rebels seized
it last month in a major escalation of their yearslong fighting with
government forces in the central African nation.
With the support of around 4,000 troops from Rwanda, the rebels fought
off overstretched and outnumbered Congolese forces — many of whom
surrendered — and started to gain more territories, taking Bukavu, a
second major city in the region. The expansion is unprecedented, unlike
in 2012 when M23 captured Goma for days, and has raised the risks of
regional warfare, analysts say.
Although the rebels have agreed to talks that neighbors have pushed for,
Congo's government accuses them of carrying out human rights abuses and
using their campaign to advance the interests of Rwanda.
The rebellion has meant that the devastated city, which used to be a key
trade route, has struggled economically as schools and other social
services haven't returned to normal levels.
The M23 has tried to strengthen their grip on the city, pushing for
social services like electricity and water supplies to return. But life
is still far from normal, locals say, many of them living in fear and
uncertainty about what could happen next.
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Shops are closed in downtown Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo,
Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, one month after Rwanda-backed M23 rebels
captured the city. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)
 Roads that were once bustling with
heavy traffic and shopping outlets are often deserted and heavily
militarized with armed rebels at every corner.
As the M23 advanced towards Goma in January, the number of residents
fleeing to safety sharply grew from hundreds to thousands. By the
time the city had fallen to the rebellion, hundreds of thousands of
people who were already displaced by the conflict had fled once
again, the U.N. said.
Despite M23’s promises to restart economic activities, commercial
banks haven't resumed operations as the local branch of the Central
Bank of Congo remains closed down.
The bank closures have led to concerns that the rebels could seek
alternative banking systems independent of the Congolese
government’s control, a major setback to regional efforts to get
them to withdraw from the city.
“The only solution to this crisis would be a rigorous management of
available resources and the establishment of alternative financial
structures such as microfinance institutions,” said Deo Bengehya, a
Goma-based professor of economic sciences.
The prolonged suspension of banking activities could further weaken
the local economy and squeeze the population, which is already
struggling with job losses and price hikes, he added.
Residents, meanwhile, continue to flee from Goma to other
neighboring countries and towards the Congolese capital, Kinshasa,
about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) away.
At the main border crossing between Congo and Rwanda, the numbers of
refugees trying to cross over to Rwanda continue to grow as hundreds
attempt to obtain the “CEPGL” pass that facilitates free movement
within the Great Lakes region.
Kasereke Syausza, owner of an electronics store in Goma, said that
he's also contemplating leaving the city because he's unable to
withdraw cash for his business.
“I’m considering moving to Kinshasa, but I risk being arrested
simply because I come from the east,” he said.
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Chinedu Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria.
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