Bloody conflict in the Congo: thousands of fleeing and lots of deaths!

Bloody conflict in the Congo: thousands of fleeing and lots of deaths!

Goma, Demokratische Republik Kongo - In the Eastern Congo, an alarming location is based on the brutally carried out of the strategically important city of Goma by the M23 rebels at the end of January. This violence has already led to around 3,000 deaths and hundreds of thousands of displaced people. Dr. Bachmann of doctors without borders describes the conditions as "dystopian" and emphasizes that many people, including humanitarian helpers, did not have enough time to get to safety. The medical infrastructure in Goma and Minova was significantly damaged by the fights, which significantly limits the care of the survivors. The power supply has also collapsed, which endangers access to communication and water, such as Kleine Zeitung reported.

The situation could continue to tighten, since the rebels are impossible to move to the provincial capital Bukavu, which is 200 kilometers south of Goma. So far, hopes for a ceasefire are unfulfilled, while international calls to comply with humanitarian international law are urgently necessary. The civilian population suffers from attacks, compulsory recruitment and sexual violence, whereby doctors without limits see their humanitarian work with enormous challenges, as reported. However, the Congolese government has confronted the direct discussions with the M23 and instead commissioned private military companies, which further heats up the tensions, so taz .

The causes of these conflicts are deeply rooted in the raw material interests, whereby Rwanda is suspected of supporting the rebels in order to get the valuable mineral resources of the Congo. The international tensions about the region and the role of Rwanda give rise to serious concerns, whereby the focus should be on the protection of the civilian population and the call to return to peaceful negotiations.