For those living in Goma, which has been captured by Rwanda-backed rebels, there is little water, little food and much uncertainty.According to The New York Times, after a week of intense fighting, rebels supported by Rwanda have taken control of Goma, a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo with a population of two million. The city’s hospitals are overwhelmed with injured civilians, and the morgue is filled with the bodies of the dead. As Goma’s residents emerge from hiding, they are facing a desperate search for basic necessities like water and food. The Congolese military, which was supposed to protect them, has been defeated.
On Thursday, in a yard outside Goma’s largest stadium, members of the M23 militia, backed by Rwanda, loaded over 1,000 captured soldiers onto trucks. These soldiers, most of whom were still wearing their uniforms, were visibly angry. However, their anger was not directed towards their captors, but towards Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and the military commanders who had abandoned them. These commanders, along with government officials, had fled the city in the early hours of Monday morning, leaving their men to fight alone. Videos and photographs show them escaping across a lake while leaving behind their vehicles.
Many of the soldiers in the trucks had continued to fight alongside other armed groups, known as the Wazalendo. However, they did not receive any reinforcements. “Tshisekedi will pay for this,” one soldier shouted. “We’ll capture him with our own hands,” another added.
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