Waves of population displacement reported north of Goma

Waves of population displacement have been reported since the morning of Wednesday January 22 in the northern part of the city of Goma (North Kivu).

Local sources report that these people, who come overwhelmingly from the locality of Nzulo, in the Kamuronza group, on the shores of Lake Kivu, approximately 7 kilometers from Sake, are storming the various displaced persons camps in the Mugunga district.

Others arrived from Minova (South Kivu) the day before by the lake.

According to civil society, one of the displaced people who arrived in Nzulo was shot and injured, which added to the panic of the population.

In this area, violent clashes between the Congolese army and the M23 rebels have intensified in recent days, witnesses report.

The latter also report intense fighting in the Nzulo region, in the Ngwilo hills.

These heavy weapons combats began during the night of Tuesday, while the FARDC and their allies shelled the positions of the M23 rebels, which are located near Kitembo, in the village of Buzi Bulenga in the territory of Kalehe in the South. -Kivu.

The same source reports that the FARDC, who want to push back the M23 rebels and consolidate their positions in Sake, carried out bombings all Tuesday evening. With the exchanges that have been going on since morning, there is total panic this Wednesday.

According to local sources, the military governor, Major General Peter Cirimwami, spoke on the morning of Wednesday with the inhabitants of Nzulo as well as those of the northern part of the city of Goma, in order to appease them.