13,000 Security Officers Evacuated from Goma City

More than 13,000 security officers have been evacuated from Goma City in North Kivu province.  

Among the evacuated officers are Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) soldiers and Congolese National Police (PNC) officers. The officers had taken refuge inside a United Nations base following the fall of Goma city in North Kivu province. They are among those who were defeated and surrounded by the March 23 Movement (M23) fighters during the fall of Goma in January.   

While some FARDC soldiers fled towards South Kivu province or crossed into Rwanda, others surrendered and gathered at Unity Stadium as ordered by M23, before being sent to Rumangabo training centre for retraining. After negotiations between the United Nations and the DR Congo government, M23 rebels allowed the defeated soldiers to be evacuated under the facilitation of MONUSCO and ICRC. 

The M23 rebels, however, put conditions on allowing the officers to be evacuated without any arms. 

On Thursday night, MONUSCO, through Vivian van de Perre, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in the DR Congo who also doubles as the Acting Head of MONUSCO, released a statement announcing that the mission, which started on April 30, had ended. 

According to Perre, transport of 13,00 unarmed elements was ensured thanks to a mixed and complex logistical system put in place by MONUSCO, including eight rotations of nearly ten vehicles (ambulance, bus, tanker) from Goma to Beni, 46 helicopter flights and 23 plane flights from Beni to the capital Kinshasa. She also commended the professionalism and spirit of cooperation of all parties involved, as well as the ICRC’s continued commitment to ensuring the neutrality of the operation and the safety and dignity of the people involved throughout.  

She also thanked the populations along the routes for their understanding and not sabotaging the mission. “Despite an extremely difficult operational context, MONUSCO and all partners worked day and night to ensure the success of this highly sensitive operation. I commend the professionalism and spirit of cooperation of all parties involved, as well as the ICRC’s continued commitment to ensuring the neutrality of the operation and the safety and dignity of the people involved throughout. I also thank the populations along the routes for their understanding,” says Perre in a statement. 

ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric also released a statement putting the number of evacuated security officers at 1359. According to Spoljaric, the outcome of this operation underscores the importance of the irreplaceable role of a neutral intermediary in situations of armed conflict, whether in Africa or elsewhere.

Spoljaric expressed hope that this operation will facilitate further humanitarian agreements that can reduce tensions and alleviate the suffering of the population in eastern DRC. 

Meanwhile, tension remains high in Goma city as M23 rebels conduct operations and arrest people. Early this week, the rebels presented more than 200 people they arrested on accusations of being behind part of the criminals who have been terrorising locals in the city.  

M23 allege that among those arrested are fighters of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and Wazalendo (patriots) who fight M23 rebels alongside the government army FARDC, who are paid by the government.   

Bertrand Bisimwa, M23 President, on Thursday released a statement saying that the fighters are conducting an operation to secure Goma city and recover weapons distributed to civilians by the Kinshasa regime. “Our defence and security services are conducting operations to secure and pacify the city of Goma and its surroundings to apprehend criminals and recover weapons distributed to the civilian population by the Kinshasa regime to sow death and desolation” says Bisimwa in a statement. 

On Thursday, M23 rebels again regained control of Kishishe and  Bambo in Rutshuru territory,  North Kivu province. According to locals, this follows fighting against the Wazalendo fighters, whom they managed to dislodge from the area. 

Rebels had voluntarily withdrawn from the areas a year ago. On Thursday, heavy fighting between M23 rebels and Wazalendo also happened in several villages in Buabo and Banyungu groupements in  Masisi territory.