Publications
Partners
- Sexual violence cases have doubled as M23 rebels march towards Goma.
- Doctors Without Borders says civilians are being referred to hospitals in South Kivu.
- The UN Security Council is discussing how the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC can support the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC.
Gunfire is raging in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and civilians are caught in the crossfire, including victims of sexual violence who have been directed from health facilities in parts of North Kivu to health institutions in South Kivu for treatment.
The current round of fighting started on Tuesday when rebel military group M23 marched towards Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, triggering a new battle against the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), led by South Africa.
In a statement on Monday, the M23 rebels warned the SAMIDRC, particularly the Tanzanian contingent they accused of using heavy artillery to shell civilians, that they would be targets.
With civilians and healthcare providers caught in the crossfire, Doctors Without Borders urgently called on the warring parties to ensure the safety of patients, medical staff and health facilities.
The organisation also asked combatants to protect civilians and allow unrestricted access to humanitarian organisations.
READ | DRC's Tshisekedi pleads with the AU and UN to sanction Rwandan and M23 rebel leaders
Since January, Doctors Without Borders has "treated around 67 war-wounded people, mostly for gunshot wounds and injuries from explosions. More than 50 of these patients were civilians, including 21 children under the age of 15".
Thousands of children have been orphaned by the current clashes, and some are being housed in a hospital in North Kivu.
"With fighting intensifying in Mweso over recent days, the number of people sheltering in the hospital has reduced, with many people fleeing the area towards Kitshanga, Katsiru, Nyanzale, Pinga, Kalembe and Kashunga.
"However, at least 2 500 people, including children whose parents have been killed, continue to shelter in Mweso hospital," read a statement by the humanitarian organisation.
Doctors Without Borders project coordinator Çaglar Tahiroglu said they had been working with the DRC government but that the humanitarian situation was overwhelming.
She said:
The clashes have forced many to migrate to South Kivu, further straining the region's capacity.
"Health facilities in Minova are overwhelmed and are facing shortages of essential medicines to treat common conditions, such as malaria, diarrhoeal diseases, malnutrition and respiratory infections," said Rabia Ben Ali, Doctors Without Borders' emergency coordinator in South Kivu.
She added: "Over the past four weeks, we have seen the number of weekly cases of sexual violence treated at the hospital in Minova doubling."
Monusco to help SADC Force
With fighting underway, a team led by UN under-secretary-general for peace operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix visited Goma, Beni and Bukavu in early February.
Lacroix called on M23 to immediately suspend its onslaught in eastern DRC and to respect the Luanda Roadmap.
During his discussion with SAMIDRC commander General Monwabisi Dyakopu from South Africa, Lacroix emphasised the need for cooperation with the Congolese army in its fight against armed groups in eastern DRC.
READ | At his inauguration, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi promises good times ahead
Lacroix said while the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (Monusco) was gradually withdrawing from the region, the UN Security Council was working on how it could assist the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in its new role in eastern DRC.
"In Resolution 2717, the Security Council mandated the Monusco to examine ways in which it could provide limited logistical and operational support to the SADC force (SAMIDRC). The mission is currently exploring options for providing this support. Proposals will be made to the Security Council, which will decide on the nature of this support and its modalities," he said.
Lacroix also met DRC President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa, where the two spoke about a quick increase in the presence and capacity of Congolese defence and security forces in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu – three provinces that Monusco is set to leave as part of its withdrawal from the country.
The News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained herein do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
