Democratic Republic of the Congo: Despair grows in M23-controlled Goma
Image of a street in Goma, DRC. Under the M23 rebel group, streets are deserted after 7 pm. Photo by Victoire Katembo Mbuto. Used with permission
This article by Victoire Katembo Mbut was first published on the news site Ici Congo on May 4, 2025. It was republished on Global Voices as part of a content partnership agreement.
Since January 2025, M23 rebels have controlled Goma, a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). With violence overshadowing everyday life, fears and uncertainty around what tomorrow will bring are growing.
Read: Who are the rebels from the March 23 Movement in eastern DRC?
As light rain fell in Goma on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, all was quiet in the slum neighborhood of Birere. The streets, once bustling with retailers, motorcycle taxis, Chukudus (two-wheeled handmade scooters), commercial traders, Shegués (street children), and pickpockets, are now in a sorry state, virtually deserted and silent.
Jean-Paul Sengemoja (a pseudonym for security purposes), a storekeeper in Birere, can hardly forget the moment the M23 rebels entered Goma. He reflects:
Cette situation a déstabilisé toutes nos activités. Nous avons perdu des amis, des biens et nos commerces ont été pillés. C’est un pire cauchemar.
This situation has shaken all aspects of our lives. We have lost friends and property, and our businesses have been looted. It’s like a nightmare come true.
When the M23 rebels entered Goma, several stores were looted. He continued
Nous connaissons une chute de nos recettes. Avant cette guerre, nos recettes allaient de 2 000 à 5 000 dollars américains par jour. Aujourd’hui, nous réalisons difficilement entre 300 et 500 dollars. On ne travaille presque plus.
We have experienced a drop in revenues. Before this conflict, our daily revenue varied from USD 2,000 to USD 5,000. Now, we barely make between USD 300 and USD 500. We hardly work anymore.
Hotels and bars are operating at low capacity or not at all. Although there is a semblance of normality during the day, the streets become deserted after 7 pm. However, upon seizing control of the city, the M23 leaders assured the free movement of people 24 hours a day. A resident in a hurry to get home said:
C’est une peur que nous mêmes nous ne savons pas expliquer.
It’s a fear that we ourselves can’t explain.
Strangers in their own country
Every morning, Goma confirms the number of casualties. The bodies are discovered in the streets at dawn. Not a night goes by without news of homes under attack, fatalities, the theft of valuables, or disappearances. No one can say with certainty the circumstances of the nightly killings or identify their perpetrators. Between armed banditry, violence, and the presence of gunmen, citizens have been deprived of public institutions. The court system, police, and other public authorities have been dismantled, forcing people into a permanent state of fear.
The presence of military personnel, whether day or night, frightens the public, especially young people. John Alimasi, 18, told Ici Congo that he has a deep fear of military vehicles after escaping forced recruitment.
Un certain jeudi, j’ai échappé à un enlèvement avec des jeunes de mon quartier. Quand je vois une jeep militaire, je me sens mal à l’aise. J’ai toujours peur et je me sens comme un étranger dans mon propre pays.
One Thursday, I escaped a forced recruitment with some other guys from my neighborhood. Whenever I see a military jeep, I feel uneasy. I’m always afraid and feel like a stranger in my own country.
A feeling of despair is taking hold among the population. Every day feels harder and longer than the last. With the closure of banks and other financial institutions, households are struggling. A local NGO worker, unemployed due to the conflict, laments:
Nous allons mourir de faim alors que nous avons des fonds logés dans des banques et coopératives. Nous ne savons même plus accéder aux soins faute d’argent. C’est l’automédication qui s’installe dans nos ménages. Tout a changé. Le coût des biens est devenu exorbitant. Il est devenu difficile de s’en sortir avec l’instabilité du taux de change.
Although we have money in the bank, we’re going to starve. We don’t even know how to access healthcare without cash. We’re self-medicating at home. Everything has changed. Goods have become very expensive, and the exchange rate instability has made it difficult to get by.
In the media and public spaces alike, people have become very reluctant to speak out about the current situation in their city. Safi, a seller of manufactured goods, stated:
Nous apprenons que des gens sont chaque fois fouettés. D’autres trouvent la mort suite à ces fouets. D’autres encore sont contraints de rejoindre l’armée du M23. Tout ça on nous les raconte mais nous n’avons pas assez de preuve. Aujourd’hui j’ai peur des messages sur les réseaux sociaux. On ne perd rien quand on garde le silence.
We hear that people are beaten and killed all the time. Others are forced to join the M23 armed group. We hear all this, but we don’t have enough proof. Today, I'm afraid of the messages on social media. We lose nothing by remaining silent.
Economic collapse
Throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the economy is in a downturn. The motorcycle taxi and Chukudu industries are struggling to stay afloat. Jonas, a Chukudu driver, noted:
Aujourd’hui je gagne difficilement 2 000 ou 5 000 Francs Congolais (0,68 ou 1,70 dollar américain). Il est aussi devenu difficile de trouver des clients.
Today, I barely make between CDF 2,000 and 5,000 (USD 0.68 and 1.70). Finding customers has also become difficult.
In a cafe on the Goma-Sake road in the Lac Vert region west of Goma, Archange (a pseudonym) pondered how the situation would unfold.
Combien de temps il nous reste pour nous tenir dans cette situation ?
How much longer must we hold firm in this situation?
In the Kyeshero neighborhood, Mwasi, a market trader, sits in front of her stall and shares that she is profoundly anxious and exhausted. Since the M23 rebels’ arrival in Goma, she can barely sleep. The ongoing insecurity has impacted her health:
Je n’arrive plus à dormir. Même au lit, je pense toujours aux probables attaques.
I can barely sleep at all. Even in bed, I can’t stop thinking about potential attacks.
She is not the only one in Goma who is now suffering from sleepless nights.
Increased post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
In a press release on February 18, 2025, the International Committee of the Red Cross reported that the establishments it supports had recorded over 1,400 deaths this year of mostly civilian victims — ten times the number of casualties compared to 2024. The briefing highlights:
De nombreuses familles ont été séparées dans le chaos de la fuite et attendent avec angoisse des nouvelles de leurs proches, avec lesquels elles ont perdu contact. Dans un premier temps, il est essentiel de mettre en place des moyens de communication pour leur permettre d’informer leurs proches.
Many families became separated in the mayhem as they fled and are now anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones with whom they have lost contact. Firstly, it is imperative to establish means of communication to enable them to inform their loved ones.
According to clinical psychologist Dieudonné Bahati, many people in Goma have become depressed since the resurgence of this conflict. He says conflict can cause post-traumatic stress disorder, exacerbating the feeling of hopelessness and causing sleep and eating problems. Dieudonné Bahati advises:
Pour s’entraider, il est essentiel de vivre en harmonie. Lorsque quelque chose vous dérange, parlez-en à une personne de confiance.
Living in unity is vital for supporting one another. When something bothers you, speak to someone you trust.
This kind of situation can cause suicidal thoughts in some people. Many people have lost everything, and those who had a job no longer have it.
In a similar vein, Jean-Marie Vianney Basabose, a neuropsychiatrist at the mental care facility Tulizo Letu (Our Comfort) in Goma, explains:
Tout ce que la population de Goma a traversé a eu des répercussions sur le plan psychologique. Beaucoup de gens présentent des troubles post-traumatiques, et des cas de dépression sont également répertoriés, surtout chez les enfants.
Everything that the people of Goma have gone through has had a psychological impact. Many people have post-traumatic stress disorder, and cases of depression are also listed, especially among children.
To this day, diplomatic efforts have failed to restore peace in Goma, giving little hope to the local people left to fend for themselves in this conflict.
