On February 19, the city of Goma, in North Kivu, was the scene of a popular demonstration of remarkable scale. Despite the Town Hall’s ban, citizens gathered to denounce the alleged complicity of the international community in the aggression of the DRC by Rwanda, camouflaged under the banner of the terrorist group M23.
The march, organized in a peaceful spirit, aimed to draw attention to the abuses perpetrated by the M23 in the territories of Rutshuru and Masisi. The demonstrators, outraged by the support they believe they received from foreign countries, symbolically burned the flags of Rwanda, the United States and France, pointing the finger at their alleged complicity.
The citizens’ demands were clear: they asked the Congolese government to take firm measures against the M23 and to sever ties with countries accused of supporting it. Several slogans were sounded, demanding in particular that the military authorities set up their headquarters in Goma to be as close as possible to the affected populations.
The march, which was to end in the locality of Sake, was interrupted by the security services as the demonstrators approached the CCLK operational zone in the Mugunga district.
This event once again underlines the persistent tensions in this region of Africa and the frustration of the populations faced with what they perceive as a lack of action on the part of the authorities and the international community. In the meantime, the hope of seeing the situation improve remains fragile, and this citizen mobilization should fuel the debate on the security and humanitarian issues facing the DRC.