More coverage of eastern DR Congo conflict and exodus
“This is very much the worst it's been in the last 10 years, even during the war, I've never been this scared,” said Stuart.
"Last night I was in my home with my family,” Stuart, a resident who fled to Gisenyi in Rwanda, told IRIN. “Government troops were shooting outside, in the street, all over the neighbourhood. They were shooting heavy guns and breaking into people's houses, and killing people, and looting; I saw them. It felt like anarchy, there was no law,” he said.
[snip]
“The situation is very bad. When you see Congolese people fighting other Congolese people and looting their homes it is very frightening. My family aren't safe. I couldn't bring them with me because I don’t have the means, I can't afford to accommodate them if I bring them all across.
The UN says it is deeply concerned about the plight of tens of thousands of people fleeing a rebel advance in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Watch a short video here.
The BBC's Laura Trevelyan at UN headquarters in New York says that officials are hoping the ceasefire holds as losing control of Goma would severely undermine their authority throughout the rest of the country.
The Security Council met late on Wednesday and unanimously adopted a non-binding statement which condemned the fighting and called on the Tutsi rebel group CNDP, led by Laurent Nkunda, to "bring its operations to an end".
BUNIA, 29 October 2008 (IRIN) - Airplanes may be needed to help some 6,000 people displaced during attacks by Ugandan rebels in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who are not accessible by humanitarian agencies, officials said.
...one resident Eric, 28, who sells motorbikes for a living, told IRIN he was torn between fleeing and protecting his business.
“There’s real panic in town, the panic is there. Everyone in Goma is running to their houses. I saw the government troops retreating into town. It’s been very tense today, yesterday and the day before.
"We haven't eaten in two days," one family shouted out as our vehicle passed by on the road leading into the lakeside city of Goma.
Retreating army troops had prompted this exodus. Clearly tense, some soldiers were driving aggressively, others walking through the crowds into Goma.
There have been reports of some soldiers stealing cars and motorbikes to get to Sake, a town to the west of Goma. Others have been looting houses.
DRC: Many aid agencies quit Goma
"We heard some shooting in town last night and heard reports of looting ... we have pulled out all expatriate staff to Gisenyi [a town just across the Rwandan border] but have tried to maintain minimum activities in Goma,” an official with Save the Children told IRIN.
"We were forced to evacuate, given the mounting dangers posed to our staff on the ground," Wilfred Mlay, the Africa vice-president of World Vision, said in a statement. "But we remain very concerned about the humanitarian crisis faced by people in Goma and Rutshuru.”
Médecins Sans Frontières head of mission Erna Van Goor told IRIN: “Some non-essential staff have been evacuated from Goma to the Rwanda border as a precaution. We still have all our sections functioning and we are continuing operations."
“The situation is extremely volatile and is changing from hour to hour. MSF teams continue to provide independent emergency medical aid to people in towns and camps throughout the conflict zone, namely in and around Kitchanga, Masisi, Mweso, Nyanzale and Kayna," according to an MSF statement issued on 30 October.
LUSAKA, 29 October 2008 (IRIN) - The Zambian government has closed its border to any refugees arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as fighting intensifies in the east of the country.
"We have been following closely the violence in DRC. I have already ordered the immigration officers to be on extra alert at Kasumbalesa [the border post]," Susan Sikaneta, permanent secretary in the interior ministry, told IRIN.
A rebel leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo whose forces are threatening the city of Goma has told the BBC he has declared a ceasefire.
Renegade General Laurent Nkunda urged government troops to follow suit.
Thousands of people have been fleeing an upsurge in fighting in the east in recent days, pouring into Goma.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the violence was "creating a humanitarian crisis of catastrophic dimensions" and urged a truce.
Gen Nkunda told the BBC: "We are not far from Goma but because there is a state of destabilisation in the town we decided in our movement to cease fire and unilaterally to proclaim a ceasefire."
"Last night I was in my home with my family,” Stuart, a resident who fled to Gisenyi in Rwanda, told IRIN. “Government troops were shooting outside, in the street, all over the neighbourhood. They were shooting heavy guns and breaking into people's houses, and killing people, and looting; I saw them. It felt like anarchy, there was no law,” he said.
[snip]
“The situation is very bad. When you see Congolese people fighting other Congolese people and looting their homes it is very frightening. My family aren't safe. I couldn't bring them with me because I don’t have the means, I can't afford to accommodate them if I bring them all across.
The UN says it is deeply concerned about the plight of tens of thousands of people fleeing a rebel advance in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Watch a short video here.
The BBC's Laura Trevelyan at UN headquarters in New York says that officials are hoping the ceasefire holds as losing control of Goma would severely undermine their authority throughout the rest of the country.
The Security Council met late on Wednesday and unanimously adopted a non-binding statement which condemned the fighting and called on the Tutsi rebel group CNDP, led by Laurent Nkunda, to "bring its operations to an end".
BUNIA, 29 October 2008 (IRIN) - Airplanes may be needed to help some 6,000 people displaced during attacks by Ugandan rebels in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who are not accessible by humanitarian agencies, officials said.
...one resident Eric, 28, who sells motorbikes for a living, told IRIN he was torn between fleeing and protecting his business.
“There’s real panic in town, the panic is there. Everyone in Goma is running to their houses. I saw the government troops retreating into town. It’s been very tense today, yesterday and the day before.
"We haven't eaten in two days," one family shouted out as our vehicle passed by on the road leading into the lakeside city of Goma.
Retreating army troops had prompted this exodus. Clearly tense, some soldiers were driving aggressively, others walking through the crowds into Goma.
There have been reports of some soldiers stealing cars and motorbikes to get to Sake, a town to the west of Goma. Others have been looting houses.
DRC: Many aid agencies quit Goma
"We heard some shooting in town last night and heard reports of looting ... we have pulled out all expatriate staff to Gisenyi [a town just across the Rwandan border] but have tried to maintain minimum activities in Goma,” an official with Save the Children told IRIN.
"We were forced to evacuate, given the mounting dangers posed to our staff on the ground," Wilfred Mlay, the Africa vice-president of World Vision, said in a statement. "But we remain very concerned about the humanitarian crisis faced by people in Goma and Rutshuru.”
Médecins Sans Frontières head of mission Erna Van Goor told IRIN: “Some non-essential staff have been evacuated from Goma to the Rwanda border as a precaution. We still have all our sections functioning and we are continuing operations."
“The situation is extremely volatile and is changing from hour to hour. MSF teams continue to provide independent emergency medical aid to people in towns and camps throughout the conflict zone, namely in and around Kitchanga, Masisi, Mweso, Nyanzale and Kayna," according to an MSF statement issued on 30 October.
LUSAKA, 29 October 2008 (IRIN) - The Zambian government has closed its border to any refugees arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as fighting intensifies in the east of the country.
"We have been following closely the violence in DRC. I have already ordered the immigration officers to be on extra alert at Kasumbalesa [the border post]," Susan Sikaneta, permanent secretary in the interior ministry, told IRIN.
A rebel leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo whose forces are threatening the city of Goma has told the BBC he has declared a ceasefire.
Renegade General Laurent Nkunda urged government troops to follow suit.
Thousands of people have been fleeing an upsurge in fighting in the east in recent days, pouring into Goma.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the violence was "creating a humanitarian crisis of catastrophic dimensions" and urged a truce.
Gen Nkunda told the BBC: "We are not far from Goma but because there is a state of destabilisation in the town we decided in our movement to cease fire and unilaterally to proclaim a ceasefire."