Insecurity in the DR Congo: “Patriots” are becoming a problem

Violence is increasing in the besieged metropolis of Goma. Now Congo’s army is putting its paramilitary auxiliary troops in their place.

Demonstration of the “patriotic” Wazalendo militias in Goma, February Photo: Arlette Bashizi / reuters

KAMPALA taz | Every night, residents report, shots can be heard in Goma. The number of civilians being tortured, robbed, raped, stabbed or shot by army soldiers or militia members, the so-called wazalendo (patriots), is increasing every day in the capital of North Kivu province in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Among the dead are soldiers and militia members themselves, who apparently shoot each other in an argument.

The metropolis of Goma, directly on Congo’s border with Rwanda, has been almost completely surrounded since the beginning of the year. The rebels of the M23 (March 23rd Movement) have taken over the entire area around it. The consequences: Hundreds of thousands of displaced people have settled in displaced persons camps on the outskirts of the city. Food prices have risen immeasurably.

Now, alongside hunger and heavy rain, it is insecurity that terrorizes people every night. Because Congo’s army has stationed all available troops on the outskirts of Goma. Goma is now the most militarized city in the entire region, but – as is usual in Congo – the soldiers and militiamen have not been paid for months and have hardly any food rations. Last Thursday, soldiers’ wives demonstrated in front of the army headquarters in Goma because no pay had arrived in the account for four months.

The M23 rebels, who have now joined forces with others to form the Alliance of the Congo River (AFC), are taking advantage of the situation. In one Press release A few days ago they called the insecurity in Goma “unacceptable” and called on the population there to “stand together against the criminal acts of Tshisekedi’s soldiers”. Indirectly, this means that the Congolese should join the rebels: “A population that does not have the courage to stand up against oppression has no right to complain.”

Militia members should leave the population alone

In order to control the rampant violence in Goma, the military administration of the province, which has been under martial law since 2021, decided on Thursday that the Wazalendo militia members are no longer allowed to come into the city with weapons, including into the displaced persons camps.

“We have taken measures to strengthen security with the help of the police in the camps,” assured military governor General Peter Cirimwami. “As a second measure, we ordered the militia members to leave the camps and leave the population alone.”

Heavily armed militiamen

But Congo’s police are even worse paid and equipped than the army. Whether it can take on heavily armed militia members remains questionable. Meanwhile, military governor Cirimwami accuses neighboring Rwanda of inciting insecurity in Goma using “infiltrators”: “It is a strategy of the enemy that aims to create psychosis, fear and discord among the population,” he said.

The Wazalendo themselves are of this opinion: “Agents from Kigali and Kampala” are now “terrorizing” the population in Goma, they explained.

On the other hand, Marion Kambale, chairman of organized civil society in Goma, explains that the insecurity has its roots in “war”, “unemployment”, “increase in the cost of living” and the widespread “displacement of the population”.

After all, a military court has now held a trial against the alleged murderers of three civilians who were shot dead in the Majengo district last Tuesday. On Saturday, the accused, Endondo Engulu, a soldier in the Congolese presidential guard, was sentenced to death.