The Crisis in Eastern Congo Didn’t Start With M23’s Resurgence

GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo—Barihuta Twagirayezu was holding his 4-year-old daughter’s manus tightly erstwhile nan slug deed him successful nan knee. A skirmish had surgery retired betwixt rebels from nan March 23rd Movement, known arsenic nan M23, and nan Congolese service successful his colony successful eastbound Congo successful precocious June. Twagirayezu and his family were trying desperately to scope safety. “Many group person been shot. I was conscionable 1 of nan victims,” he said, his sound dependable and unchanging.

It was astir 5 p.m., he recalls, and nan ray extracurricular had begun to turn dim. After being changeable and falling to nan ground, he heard his woman crying retired for thief and felt men assistance and transportation him toward safety. Twagirayezu was subsequently taken to a Red Cross-supported infirmary successful Goma, wherever he said to World Politics Review while awaiting room to region nan slug from his knee.

“I americium suffering, truthful I can’t do thing for my family,” he said, sitting successful a sunbaked shelter group up to woody pinch nan hospital’s overflow of patients. “It is very sad.”