M23 rebels tighten their hold on Goma

M23 rebels are tightening their grip on Goma, the largest city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. After capturing swathes of the city, a spokesperson for the rebels insisted that peace was their top priority.

Willy Ngoma, a spokesperson for M23, said, “we released the mercenaries, they went home. There were 289 mercenaries. Let the people of Goma be calm, peace is here. We are a people's army, we will watch over their security, we will bring peace. No hassling. We do not steal, we do not rape, peace is truly total, we are a people's army. What we must do is denounce all these bandits who are still hiding with weapons, so that they can work with us in this sense, so that we can stop them.”

The spokesperson is on the UN Security Council’s sanctions list for undermining peace and security in the country.

Residents, meanwhile, say the arrival of the rebels has deprived them of certain essentials.

Fiston Bafaluma, a Goma resident, said, “we, the population, need peace. We don't need anything else except peace. We have no electricity, no internet, there is nothing. We have been at home for three days, since Monday. Today is the day we just went out a little, it is not possible. We need peace, and we saw Willy Ngoma. We need peace. If peace is here, we will need it to be everywhere, even where our brothers are.”

According to a UN report, over a third of the population of North Kivu province have been driven from their homes, and the capture of the city will likely worsen the situation.