Insecurity in Goma North Kivu DRC a deliberate action from security services: What happens before?

Brief Note on the security situation in Goma, the main city of North Kivu Province the Democratic Republic of Congo: What happens before, how is insecurity manifest and what happens after? 

A photo of security services in North Kivu by Journalist Ronely Ntibonera

This note is based on the monitoring of the security situation in Goma since January to July 2024 and focuses on the circumstances before the crimes.

Background information

The town of Goma and its surrounding mainly in the territory of Nyiragongo host more than 3million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who are now living alongside around 2million residents of Goma and refugees, the city is currently blocked from its main roads which facilitate the movement of people and their goods, this has greatly affected the living conditions and generally the eating. Food is one among the biggest challenges because most of the villages that produced food are now under the control of M23 fighters backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Yet we do not observe many crimes connected to food among ordinary people, in the same way we do not observe many crimes committed by Internally Displaced Persons.

On top of that, Goma is highly militarized and it is a military operational zone which hosts Government Soldiers in numbers, the local militia called Wazalengo who are helping government forces, the SADC Mission, MONUSCO and instructors from Rumania who help the army.

All corners of Goma are surrounded by the M23 rebels and they sometimes launch attacks in order to capture Goma, but the government continues to claim that they will not come to Goma. Still insecurity in Goma is not connected to the M23 infiltrations as we would have expected.

Forms of insecurity since January to July 2024

We have observed the following situations which affected the lives of people in Goma:

Gunshot at night:

Generally there are gunshot at night in various places especially in areas that host IDPs and areas surrounding IDPs in Goma and in most poor suburbs, these gunshot often start as early as 7pm up to 11pm, just in the air without any target. The purpose seems to keep people in fear and reduce the freedom of people to carry out their activities at night. The actors of these gunshot are believed to be Government Soldiers and the Wazalendo (the militia group helping the government), this happens generally in Karisimbi Division. This seems to focus on making people to easily surrender when these armed come to operate at night in different houses. Gunshot are often also done in Goma Division generally from 6-9pm in some specific places.

House break-into

The house break-into at night generally from 11pm to 3am does affect Karisimbi Division in Goma which host low-income people, while Goma Division which host the rich and middle class has been excluded and the city center is totally peaceful. The authors of these house breaks-in are believed to be Government Soldiers, Wazalendo and other criminals in the community who always take whatever they find in the house, this also affects IDPs Camps of Rusayu One, Sam Sama and Lushagala.

Armed robbery:

Business operators have been victims of armed robbery in some places mainly in Karisimbi Division during the day time, while these acts are not common in Goma Division, those responsible are believed to be Government Soldiers and Wazalendo.

Assassinations

Targeted assassinations were observed generally among business people on roadside, at their homes and at their places of work. We also observed assassination of people from their homes by armed people who come, break-into the house, kill and go. Again generally in Karisimbi Division and part of Nyiragongo Territory, the actors are believed to be Government Soldiers and Wazalendo. These killings are not even associated to the need to take things, they just come, kill the person and leave, as they move they fire bullets in air so that no one moves out until they disappear.

Actors of insecurity in Goma

Generally the actors of insecurity are Government soldiers and Police Officers, the Wazalendo and the groups of criminals in town called “40voleurs”.

Each group has its own way of operating and the focus, from various activities which have caused insecurity in Goma we can observe the following:

Government soldiers and security officers are involved in armed robbery especially at night and generally on roadside and in people’s shops between 6-11pm. Also in gunshots in town especially at night.

The Wazalendo: This armed group supporting the Congolese Army in the war against M23, the Wazalendo are not supported in terms of food and other needs they may have, in order to eat some have to use their guns in order to take by force what civilians have, either house breaks-in at night, armed robbery on roadside and targeted assassinations, they are also responsible of the current Bullet Music in Goma every day.

The 40 Voleurs “40 thieves”

They are also involved in house breaks-in at night and target assassinations in Goma. These are generally young people in the various areas who are well known, while they survive on these operations in order to get money, they are also used in various operations aiming at creating instability in Goma in order to prove that certain authorities have failed and therefore they should be replaced.

The City Center of Goma excluded

The city center of Goma hosts generally the rich and foreigners and few in numbers and in most cases, the city center of Goma is not affected by the insecurity.

Circumstances before the violation

Generally we have observed the increase of insecurity incidents in Goma one week before the visit of particular government Ministers mainly the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Prime Minister, and when there is plan for other highly placed dignitaries who want to visit Goma. That week before generally all these incidents above will appear and are done every day, they do continue until the Minister leaves Goma.

Areas of focus, particular avenues

We also observed that criminality and insecurity is generally being concentrated in places which are believed to hot in Goma, where there are other urban criminals, where it is perceived as areas where people can easily demonstrate, and areas which are heavily populated by poor communities.

Response from the authorities

Generally when there is a delegation coming from Kinshasa there are security operations put in place by either the Mayor or other security services and different people are regularly presented to Media as being part of the criminals in Goma. Then one week before the Minister comes, we observed the totally absence and silence of the urban authorities in terms of providing security. In some places criminals are said to have operated during two hours, one hour and long time, without intervention from security services, during that one week we also observed the total absence of information from the authorities about the criminals who are operating, and generally in some cases security services do arrive later when they criminals have left to unknown places.

During the period when the Minister is already in Goma, insecurity focuses on killing people especially in places which are believed to be hot, where people can easily demonstrate, sometimes the killing of people or a person may happen one day before the coming of the Minister. Generally in such a situation people have held demonstrations when the Delegation from Kinshasa is here in order to call for the protection of the city in response to the killings. In our findings we have observed that these demonstrations held in line with insecurity are not necessary the expression of anger from the population but a well-planned demonstration by either political actors or security actors who motivate young people with some money in order to demonstrate.

After the Minister has left

Generally we have observed that after the Minister or the delegation has gone back to Kinshasa the security situation tend to come back to normal, with the reduction of insecurity in the city and people do feel free to operate their activities even late at night. During that time we only hear about robbery at night especially by Police and Soldiers waiting to get phones from people at night.

Way forward

In order to reduce insecurity in Goma, more research work should focus on understanding more the attitudes of the security services and political actors who seem to be beneficiaries of this insecurity in Goma, and work more closely and directly with young people who are used in all these activities especially that all these people are known,

There is an urgent need for the security services to regulate the movement and activities of Army and Police Officers especially in the evening and at night, and ensure that those who are in patrol are not involved in crimes,

There is an urgent need to invest in young people in all aspects, economically through Income Generating Projects, Entrepreneurship and skill development, education both formal, informal and trainings, empowerment in terms of Civic Education and access to accurate information,

Efforts should be done in order to ensure that the Wazalendo are supported financially and can solve their basic needs,

To understand very well the security situation in Goma, a lot of work may need to focus on financial interests and political interests that may be connected to insecurity, at the same the justification of the funds which are allocated to security services in order to propose to all actors better ways to push for political interests and also better ways to justify security funds. Such research should then be accompanied by a strong advocacy approach and advise the Government what to do in order to improve the situation.

Thanks