The Congolese returning to Goma to rebuild their homeland said they were heartbroken over the devastated situation in the city, which left them wandering how to reconstruct their life with fragile security and limited resources.
Tensions are running high in the DRC as fighting between the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group and the DRC army continues in the eastern city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province, with M23 rebels saying on Jan 27 that it has taken control of the city.
The death toll from the conflicts between M23 rebels and the government forces rose to over 2,900, said Vivian van de Perre, Deputy Special Representative for Protection and Operations in the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), on Wednesday. Having returned to Goma from the eastern town of Rutshuru, Emmanuel Murenzi said the ravaged situation gave him no confidence in rebuilding his life and he decided to return to Rutshuru.
"I'm going back to my home [in Rutshuru], because the situation here is the same. Previously, we were afraid of war, but now there is no more fighting. There is also no need to stay in the camp, because it was destroyed. So, we decided to return to the village in Rutshuru," he said.
Kashagaza Bwami, who was displaced from Kibumba, said he wanted to reconstruct his house in Goma, but the city has few resources available.
"I need to build a place to house my family. I need sheet metal, nails, planks, rafters and cement," he said.
Mugenzi Karugwe, who is in charge of a site for displaced people in Bujari in Nyiragongo territory, said the situation in Goma made him worried about transporting and providing shelter for his children.
"First of all, all our houses were destroyed. We're wondering where we're going and where our children will spend the night. We have babies, but we don't have any means of transportation," he said.
Conflict in Goma leaves thousands dead and displaced as residents struggle to rebuild amid fragile security
Conflict in Goma leaves thousands dead and displaced as residents struggle to rebuild amid fragile security
