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Civilians flee from Goma as M23 rebels battle for control of the city Civilians flee from Goma as M23 rebels battle for control of the city 

Pope prays for peace in DR Congo as rebels overrun Goma

Pope Francis appeals for prayers for civilians in Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as rebels overrun the eastern city which borders Rwanda.

By Devin Watkins

“As I pray for the swift restoration of peace and security, I call on local authorities and the international community to make every effort to resolve the conflict through peaceful means.”

Pope Francis made that appeal on Wednesday during his weekly General Audience.

He expressed his concern for the worsening situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, urging all parties to seek to cease hostilities and safeguard civilians in Goma and surrounding areas.

The Pope also brought attention to riots on Tuesday in the capital, Kinshasa, as protesters stormed embassies of countries they say are complicit in the conflict in North Kivu province.

“I am also following with apprehension the events unfolding in the capital, Kinshasa,” he said, “and I hope that all forms of violence against people and their property will cease.”

Fighting in Goma reaches Church-run facilities

Fighting escalated in Goma in recent days as M23 rebels have fought government forces for control of the capital of the DRC’s North Kivu province.

The militia, reportedly backed by Rwanda, marched into the city of 2 million people on Monday, marking a dramatic escalation of their decade-long insurgency.

M23 seized the airport on Tuesday and has since sought to consolidate its control over Goma, according to local residents.

Local Church officials have reported shelling of ecclesial infrastructure, leading to the death of civilians.

On Monday, Bishop Willy Ngumbi Ngengele, the diocesan bishop, said shelling hit the neonatal unit of the Maternal General Charité Hospital, which “caused the death of newborns.”

He added that the newly-inaugurated diocesan prosecutor’s office building endured damage to its windows.

Worsening humanitarian situation

Thousands of Goma residents have fled their homes since Monday, adding to the 1 million displaced persons already in the city.

Hundreds of thousands of people require urgent humanitarian assistance, according to Bernard Balibuno, country director for CAFOD, the aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.

“The city has been forced into shutdown by the fighting,” said Mr. Balibuno, “and hundreds of thousands of people are displaced with many reduced to begging on the streets.”

Goma’s four main hospitals have been overwhelmed by hundreds of injured people seeking treatment.

According to the Red Cross, which runs one of Goma’s hospitals, civilians arrive by bus or motorbikes bearing bullet or shrapnel wounds.

“The three surgical teams work tirelessly to treat patients who are sometimes lying on the floor due to lack of space,” said Myriam Favier, head of the ICRC delegation in Goma.

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29 January 2025, 09:56
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