It has been nearly a month since seized control of North Kivu’s main city, Goma. Since then, the rebel leaders have established an administration that appears to be effectively managing public affairs, independent of
For some residents, life has settled into a new normal since the takeover.
Fidele Nkulu, a motorcycle cab driver, believes that the security situation has improved since the new administration entered the city but that more needs to be done.
“What we’ve noticed lately is different from what used to happen. At least in terms of safety, we’re trying to improve on what we had before, despite the fact that when we come home from work in the evening, there are certain cases of insecurity in our various neighborhoods. But on the road, the situation is good,” he told DW.
After capturing Goma in late January, the M23 fighters, who UN experts say are backed by , swiftly captured Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu. The hostile takeover has given the armed group a major foothold in the region.
According to the UN’s humanitarian agency Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the day after Bukavu was taken, life in the city “returned to normal, but local sources reported an increase in crime,” particularly burglaries by armed men.
The increase in crime is due to the circulation of weapons abandoned by the soldiers of the army, the agency stated, saying this “raises the risk of an increase [in] insecurity in the province.”
Rebels appoint new leadership in Goma
In Goma, Julien Katembo, appointed mayor by the M23, is overseeing initiatives aimed at restoring a semblance of normality to Goma. These include community sanitation projects, while the immigration service is now issuing travel documents.
“We are gradually working to establish peace in Goma. We’re taking it slowly,” Katembo said.
His goal is challenging, as the city remains flooded with weapons and military equipment after clashes with the Congolese army. The government believes that more than 7,000 people have been killed in the east of the country since January.
The rebel administration is also making it easier to obtain travel documents, allowing for easier travel between Goma and neighboring countries.
Samuel Nyiransabimana, a regular at the Rwandan border, said that both the Congolese and Rwandan populations found it difficult to cross the border because of the resident permit, “but with this new M23 administration, [for] just $10, the document is granted right at the border, and that facilitates movement.”
Besides facilitating travel, the rebels have also set up community works which take place every Saturday aimed at improving the city’s sanitation.
Some human rights activists accuse the new rebel administration in Goma and other regions of enforcing orders through threats. Reports indicate that some people have been beaten for not executing tasks properly.
Anne Mashagiro, responsible for an avenue in Goma’s Katoyi district within the Karisimbi commune, acknowledges the challenges of complying with the new administration.
“They’ve been told that everyone has to do this work, and everyone is mobilized. As a grassroots manager, I tell them that community work normally starts from 6:30 am to 10 am. But the new authorities are talking about 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. And we have to respect that,” she admitted.
Rebel cities in need of humanitarian aid
Josue Wallay, an activist from Fight for Change, a civil society movement that advocates for social justice, said Goma and Bukavu have been looted, and
“The town of Goma currently has no bank and people can’t buy food because they have no cash,” he noted.
Wallay said they have encountered resistance to their activism.
“We realized that defending the interests of the inhabitants … seems to be complicated, especially for security reasons,” he told DW.
According to the UN’s humanitarian agency, the hostilities have also “exacerbated food insecurity” in and around Goma. At least 3,000 tonnes of food were looted from a UN World Food Programme warehouse in Goma, the UN body said.
“The supply chain has been severely disrupted, breaking links between producers, markets and consumers, leading to soaring prices and shortages of products on the local market, according to OCHA.
A fight for minerals
eastern and southern African regional blocs have appointed former Ethiopian, Kenyan and Nigerian leaders to .
Daddy Saleh, a political analyst and lecturer in North Kivu, emphasized the need for forceful negotiation.
“The obstacles to peace are rooted in differing perspectives: some see it as a war of mineral plundering and balkanization, while others view it as a war of liberation,” he said. He added that without a basis for negotiation, “you need force to negotiate.”
International governments have also weighed in on the conflict. Just last week, the United States sanctioned a Rwandan government minister for supporting the M23 fighters, while Britain suspended some bilateral aid to Rwanda and imposed other diplomatic sanctions on Kigali for its role in the conflict in neighboring Congo.
Zanem Nety Zaidi in Goma contributed reporting
Edited by: Keith Walker
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