Insecurity and Despair in Bukavu Amidst Rebel Control

Bukavu, South Kivu, is experiencing extreme insecurity, with reports indicating three to four bodies found nightly. The M23 rebel group’s control has led to rampant looting and violence, crippling social structures, including education and media freedom. Residents express fear and helplessness in the face of both criminal gangs and the occupying forces.

In Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, pervasive insecurity has led to nightly discoveries of bodies on the streets, with reports indicating that bodies frequently emerge from the nearby lake. This violence has intensified since the M23 rebel group’s control took effect in mid-February. Local church authorities, wishing to remain anonymous for safety, assert that the city operates under the law of the strongest.

Criminal gangs remain active in Bukavu, engaging primarily in small-scale theft. However, significant looting occurs with the complicity of the M23 and its allies, exemplified by a recent incident in which a bank was robbed and three cassiterite mining sites were plundered. The extent of the looting escalated prior to the M23’s official entry into the city, which saw widespread devastation and theft in the Kadutu market just days before their takeover.

Reports detail a specific incident of large-scale mineral theft, occurring in the Nguba district when armed individuals abducted guards and loaded sealed barrels of cassiterite onto buses during the night. Community members expressed skepticism towards the new authorities’ efforts to address the rampant looting, questioning whom to inform about such crimes. Instead, they reported that when calling M23 soldiers during armed attacks, the soldiers often resort to indiscriminate violence against civilians.

Furthermore, the societal repercussions of this insecurity are severe. Education has come to a halt as parents hesitate to send their children to school due to safety concerns and financial constraints. The climate of fear extends to the media, where journalists are mandated to promote the narrative of the occupying forces, under threat of restriction from their outlets. The pervasive atmosphere of sadness marks a significant shift from the typically vibrant mood of the Congolese people, as sources lament the bleak reality in Bukavu.

In summary, Bukavu faces an alarming deterioration of security and societal stability, with nightly violence, looting, and profound fear affecting daily life. The M23 rebel group’s control has exponentially increased crime, diminishing safety and paralyzing education. Media restrictions serve only to compound the sense of despair, leaving the populace in a state of uncertainty regarding their future under the ongoing conflict.

Original Source: www.fides.org