DR Congo's Goma in crisis: UN official

UNITED NATIONS — A UN official in occupied Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, said on Wednesday that the city is in a state of crisis as humanitarians fight the risk of epidemics, amid a new offensive launched by rebels in the eastern part of the country.

"In Goma, we remain under occupation; the situation is still highly volatile, with a persistent risk of escalation," said Vivian van de Perre, the UN secretary-general's deputy special representative, during a video linkup with reporters.

She said the M23 rebels and the Rwandan Defense Forces, or RDF, continue to consolidate their control over Goma and most of the territories of North Kivu Province that the armed group previously seized.

"All exit routes from Goma are under their control, and the airport, also under M23 control, is closed," van de Perre said. "The escalating violence has led to immense human suffering, displacement and a growing humanitarian crisis."

Breaking a cease-fire it had declared unilaterally, due to come into effect on Tuesday, the M23, together with the RDF, seized a mining town in South Kivu Province, resuming its advance toward the provincial capital of Bukavu.

Intense clashes broke out at dawn on Wednesday as M23 fighters and the RDF seized the mining town of Nyabibwe, security and humanitarian sources told Agence France-Presse.

Van de Perre said the UN mission in DR Congo, known as MONUSCO, operates in a very challenging environment. Its key sites in the regional hub are overwhelmed with both UN personnel and Congolese seeking shelter. UN facilities were neither designed nor staffed for large-scale, long-term accommodations.

She said the pressure on critical resources — such as water, food, sanitation, and shelter — is growing.

"Despite these obstacles, MONUSCO continues to protect UN personnel and shelter vulnerable populations under international humanitarian law," van de Perre said. "Noncritical UN international and national staff have been relocated, while critical MONUSCO and humanitarian personnel stay to provide protection and aid."

She said the latest assessment from the UN country team is that about 2,000 bodies were recovered from the streets, with another 900-plus bodies in morgues. Additionally, there are many decomposing bodies that are yet to be collected. In addition to concerns about disease outbreaks, officials are worried about ethnic violence erupting.

Van de Perre said sites for the internally displaced in the north of Goma have been abandoned.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who denies backing the M23, called for a "de-escalation" in the region.

He said he had discussed the situation with European Council chief Antonio Costa, and that they had "agreed on the need for effective de-escalation and a resolution to the conflict that … ensures lasting peace."

Agencies - Xinhua