Violence and uncertainty in eastern Congo

Negotiations between rebel forces and the government are stalled, and fears persist that the insurgents will once again capture North Kivu’s provincial capital, Goma, and then continue south. There have been reports of rebels in and around the city, as well as several armed groups in and around camps on the outskirts, threatening the safety of tens of thousands of people uprooted by recent fighting.

 

“There have been numerous attacks in the camps in the last few weeks,” says Aisha Bain, the IRC’s emergency team leader in Congo. “This sharp increase in military presence raises great concerns for the security of displaced people as well as local communities.”