Congolese soldiers solemnly moved through the streets of downtown Goma – with white bands around their heads and their hands empty of guns.
They are battered from days of non-stop fighting and surrendering to the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels taking control of the regional capital and humanitarian hub.
Congolese soldiers laid down their fatigues on the road near the watch posts we saw them in just 24 hours before. The sounds of nearby shelling break the sombre mood.
The sense of capture is palpable. But some soldiers are still fighting.
There are pockets of resistance in streets across town and the sounds of automatic gunfire and shelling are almost constant.
Congolese soldiers were seen moving through the streets of Goma after surrendering
Our hotel has become a shelter for some families waiting to see what happens next. As the hours of battle drag on, some are sleeping on couches in the lobby. The hotel staff watch the windows as the fight comes to the street in front of our gate.
“I am scared but hoping peace will prevail. I am concerned for my family because I haven’t seen them since yesterday. I have only been communicating with them over the phone,” says 27-year-old driver Bahati Jean Claude.
“I just want the conflict to end. I don’t care who is in charge of Goma, all I care about is peace.”
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Peace is far from reality in Goma right now – at least 17 people have been killed and 370 injured. Prisoners who had been working to escape the central prison on Monday morning managed to break out by the afternoon. Looting was reported in the airport and other parts of town.
In a day of echoing blasts and the crack of bullets, the sounds started from a different direction. High-level security sources in town confirmed mortars and artillery coming from Rwanda as we heard the shift.
We spoke to the Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF) spokesperson, who says they fired into eastern DRC in retaliation.
“Rockets were fired across the DRC/Rwanda border in Rubavu district, western province, and five civilians have lost their lives and 35 were seriously injured,” Brigadier-General Ronald Rwivanga tells us on a video call.
“They are currently undergoing medical treatment in the medical facilities nearby. We are just taking all necessary defensive measures to protect the population living along the border.
“And we will continue to play our role, our primary role of protecting the territory or integrity of Rwanda.”
‘We are just taking all necessary defensive measures,’ Brigadier-General Ronald Rwivanga said
Throughout the day, videos emerged of Congolese troops surrendering to Rwandan soldiers – wearing the white headbands we saw on those walking in the street in front of our hotel.
Brigadier-General Rwivanga denies the presence of Rwandan troops in DRC and arms support to M23 rebels.
A UN panel of experts reported, however, that around 3,000 to 5,000 Rwandan troops were in DRC as of last year.
On Sunday, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the RDF to stop supporting the M23 and “to withdraw from the territory of the DRC”.