The RN2 highway north of Goma was cut and agricultural production stopped in North Kivu’s Rutshuru district. In the DRC, the only road leading into the city from the west has been demolished. It reappeared late last year after the Democratic Republic of the Congo said the fighters had not yet been included in the force. Vegetable oil prices have soared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to a 40-year-old charcoal trader. “If we can’t somehow come to an agreement, it will be catastrophic,” he said. After a brief lull, the rebels launched a new offensive. According to sources, FARDC retreated to the village of Nyakakoma. The Democratic Republic of the Congo accused its neighbors of supporting the rebels. The M23 was closed for security reasons, but traders said the lack of security measures made transporting goods difficult. The city of Goma was captured by M23 rebels who cut off a vital supply route to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
According to the World Bank, 70% of the country’s population lives on less than $2 a day.
“You tell people the price and they go home,” says Kahunia, who lives in a closet at Goma Market. The march back to Goma now carries coal from Rushru through the area with large numbers of militia. According to the World Bank, 70% of the country’s population lives on less than $2 a day. ‘It can’t go on like this’ According to the Food Safety Commission, between October and November, prices of essential items such as soap rose 20 percent in some markets in Goma. According to several people interviewed by AFP, the price of a cup of coffee has tripled. Prior to the accident, the Ugandan cargo was en route from RN2 to Goma. The rebels advanced thousands of kilometers to Goma, a trading center with a population of one million. Goma can be reached by boat from the city of Bukavu. Adela Lubala said shoppers leaving Goma market sat in front of buckets full of soy flour and sorghum, making it very dangerous for everyone. A small 36-year-old soap factory closed because raw materials were imported from Uganda through RN2. The 2021 explosion in Goma and the region’s flu epidemic will keep his small business afloat. He said the military had confirmed that many in Goma had not been completely duped and that the military could not be trusted to send supplies via RN2 for security reasons.