The death toll from the conflict in Eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has risen while there is a peace talk plan among leaders of eastern and southern African blocs slated for coming Friday and Saturday.
Resident in Goma are burring more than 2,000 bodies of people killed in last week’s conflict, DRC’s communications minister said overnight.
Although the M23 rebel group declared ceasefire on Monday, there has been sporadic shooting and looting in the city residents reported.
The Norwegian Refuge Council (NRC) said in a statement Wednesday that the consequences of the recent escalation across eastern DRC has been devastating for the civilian population. "We welcome the ceasefire, but stress that only a lasting peace can bring relief here and allow life-saving aid to reach those in desperate need. Many of those who have been displaced in the past month have already fled violence multiple times. Whole generations in eastern DRC have known nothing but conflict, and their needs have been utterly neglected."
Residents seeking refuge are also left with nowhere to go, the NRC statement said. “Thousands of people have been pushed into extremely precarious situations, seeking refuge in already overcrowded camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) in and around the city of Goma. Many displaced families have been forced to abandon such camps due to insecurity. We must be very clear: although some have found refuge in host communities, many are still left with no safe place to go. Added to this, they are left without access to basic needs such as healthcare, food, or safe drinking water, as critical infrastructure has been severely damaged or looted. This ceasefire will not change their situation unless it is followed by lasting peace and stability."
According to UNICEF, the decades-long conflict in eastern DRC rapidly escalated at the start of January 2025, with clashes in Goma, North Kivu province. More than 480,000 people have been displaced, deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis.
5.6 million Congolese are internally displaced in the DRC, with over 4 million in the eastern provinces of South Kivu, North Kivu, and Ituri alone (UNHCR).
It is hoped that the extraordinary summit, which will be held in Tanzania and bring together heads of state from the 6-member East African Community (EAC) and the 16-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) to discuss regional security and diplomatic interventions, will bring solutions to the situation in DRC.