COMMUNIQUE ON THE CURRENT INSECURITY IN GOMA DRCONGO

Press release on the deterioration of security in the city of Goma despite the Governor’s declarations of good intentions. We demand reforms and exemplary sanctions at the chain of command of the security services. (here is the original French Version COMMUNIQUE SUR L’INSECURITE A GOMA FINAL

We joined advocacy of humanitarian organizations and Civil Society actors to call on the Military Authorities to demilitarize and properly secure the camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in North Kivu as well as the security of the city of Goma. We have the bitter taste of observing the media declarations of good intentions of the Provincial Governor and calls that do not bring changes in the city and its surroundings, the practice of using weapons to steal the Population’s Telephones, the daily crackling of bullets, the assassinations, the increase in kidnappings, the attacks on homes undermine the authority of the State and raise questions about “who really runs North Kivu?”.

We strongly condemn these acts, we refuse that the security services which are supposed to protect us become our executioners whatever the pretext of lack of salary or any other form of political manipulation, and reject the acts of those who call themselves Wazalendo who, instead of turning their weapons towards the enemies, they turn these weapons towards the civilian population, we reject the calls aimed at the population to reduce their activities at 6:00 p.m. which only aim to make Goma a ghost town. We strongly condemn any political pretext that attacks the population; such acts deserve to be classified as terrorism.

We call for the mobilization of Civil Society Actors and Human Rights organizations to document all these rights violations and demand sanctions targeting the chain of command of all armed groups that are accused of repetitive human rights violations. We encourage the civilian population not to give in to fear as those who surrender to us want. We ask the leaders of several social strata (Religious leaders, Customary Chiefs, political party leaders, representatives of the population at each level as well as opinion leaders) to break their silence and not let the population give in to intimidation and fear but instead encourage actions of resilience.