GISENYI, Rwanda, Jan 28 – Hundreds of refugees, surrendering Congolese soldiers, and stranded truckers poured into Rwanda on Tuesday, seeking safety after the capture of Goma by M23 rebels forced them to flee eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Gunfire and explosions echoed from Goma late Monday and into Tuesday, heard clearly from Rwanda’s Rubavu district, which borders the conflict-hit region. Throughout the night, crowds gathered at the border, carrying mattresses and hastily collected belongings as Rwanda-backed M23 fighters closed in. By morning, Rwandan authorities allowed them entry, with some raising their hands in relief as they crossed into safety.
“We saw and heard terrible things. Dead bodies, gunshots, bombs,” said Alois Emmanuel Bebe, a Tanzanian truck driver among 47 others who sought refuge after being stranded by the fighting.
Since the start of the year, intensified clashes in eastern Congo have displaced approximately 400,000 people. Many have fled toward Rwanda, despite accusations from Congo and the United Nations that Kigali is fueling the conflict by providing troops and weapons to the rebels.
Families carrying bundles of possessions waited at an open-air refugee reception center in Gisenyi. Children clung to their mothers, some of whom had babies strapped to their backs. Meanwhile, Rwandan authorities processed a group of Congolese soldiers who had crossed into the country.
Inside a large hall in Gisenyi, dozens of men—some wearing military fatigues with Congolese insignia, others in civilian clothes—sat under the watch of Rwandan soldiers. Some received treatment for minor injuries.
Rwanda’s regional ambassador, Vincent Karega, said 102 Congolese soldiers surrendered by voluntarily crossing the border on Monday. “More continue to cross today. They are fleeing the battles,” he told Reuters, adding that once disarmed and registered, they would be treated as refugees.
