Hundreds Killed in DRC

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Worthy News

GOMA, DRC (Worthy News) – At least 773 people were reportedly killed in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo’s largest city of Goma and its vicinity last week amid fighting between government forces and Rwanda-backed rebels.

Congolese authorities said the latest fighting marks a significant escalation of a decade-long conflict.

The rebels’ advance into other areas was slowed by a weakened military that recovered some villages from them.

There were 773 bodies and 2,880 injured people in Goma’s morgues and hospitals, the Congolese government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya told media, adding that the death toll could be higher.

“These figures remain provisional because the rebels asked the population to clean the streets of Goma. There should be mass graves, and the Rwandans took care to evacuate theirs,” Muyaya warned.

Despite the dangers, hundreds of Goma residents returned to the city on Saturday after the rebels promised to restore essentialservices, including water and power.

EVERY CORNER

They cleaned up the neighborhoods littered with debris from weapons and filled with the stench of blood, witnesses said.

“I’m tired and don’t know which way to go. On every corner [there] is a mourner,” said Jean Marcus, 25, one of whose relatives were among those killed in the fighting.

Analysts say M23 is the most potent of over 100 armed groups vying for control in Congo’s mineral-rich east. This region holds vast deposits critical to much of the world’s technology.

They are backed by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, according to United experts, far more than in 2012, when they first captured Goma and held it for days in a conflict driven by ethnic grievances.

On Tuesday, the Tutsi-led M23 rebels seized Goma, East Congo’s largest city and the capital of North Kivu province, home to lucrative gold, coltan, and tin mines.

That has added to concerns that Christians are in the crossfire. “The M23 rebel group, reportedly supported by Rwanda, also targets Christian civilians, making the situation even worse,” said Christian advocacy group Open Doors.

INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS

“Converts from Islam and indigenous religions face pressure from their families to return to their old faiths. Catholic church leaders who speak out for fair elections risk harassment,” the group added.

This mix of militant threats, family pressures, and political interference creates a dangerous and fearful environment for Christians in Eastern Congo,” Open Doors explained.

It added that in “the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), especially in the eastern region, Christians face severe persecution and violence, frequently from Islamist militants, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF),” warned Christian advocacy group Open Doors.

“Allied with the Islamic State group, the ADF abduct and kill Christians and attack churches, leading to widespread terror, insecurity and displacement.”

In remarks shared with Worthy News, refugee Jerome noted, “Getting food is our main problem now that we are displaced because we don’t have a place to farm. The situation is very bad. If life goes on like this … it’s hard to live.”

Open Doors has ranked the Democratic Republic of the Congo 35th on its annual World Watch List of 50 countries where it says Christians face the most persecution.

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