Congolese civilians caught in a growing rebellion flee to Rwanda after facing terrible choice

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(30 Jan 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Giseny, Rwanda - 29 January 2025
1. Wide of M23 soldiers lining up Romanian military contractors that Rwandan authorities describe as mercenaries at the Congo and Rwanda border crossing
2. Various of the Romanians walking past M23 soldiers and crossing into Rwanda
3. Rwandan border police looking on at the Romanians walk in Rwandan territory
4. A Romanian going through his bag
5. Various of Rwandan border police interacting with Romanians
6. Various of M23 and Rwandan soldiers at the border crossing
7. Various of Rwandan border police standing guard as people fleeing the conflict in Congo cross into Rwanda
8. Various of the migrants undergoing checks
9. A young girl helping her mother push a suitcase
10. A police officer standing guard
11. SOUNDBITE (Kiswahili) Chibangu Ngongo Christian, Goma resident:
"In this world we have known about the Vietnam war that lasted many days, but now we have known Vietnamese people to experience peace and the past is history. So, we also believe and trust in God and our leaders in Congo to work hard to bring back peace that Congolese people have long lost. Carrying your belongings everyday and fleeing, lacking electricity and water is very troubling. Many of our countrymen have also lost their lives due to the conflict."
12. Various of women being searched
13. A man walking while holding a chips potato maker
14. SOUNDBITE (Kiswahili) Chibangu Ngongo Christian, Goma resident:
"The explosions were very loud and that is why we stayed indoors. We could make voice calls but the internet had been cut off. That is why we stayed behind. Personally, I was to go to Kinshasa on that Sunday but the airport got locked."
15. Various of people having their bags checked
16. Various of two women trying to lock their suitcases
17. SOUNDBITE (Kiswahili) Chibangu Ngongo Christian, Goma resident:
"I will return to Goma one day, I am Congolese. I am confident our government will do everything possible so that peace returns in Congolese towns. As of today it has been 13 years of suffering, running and coming back day by day and not experiencing real peace. But we have hope that our president Felix Tshisekedi will use all tools at his disposal, be it diplomacy or dialogue to re-establish real peace."
18. Wide of people lining up to cross back into Congo

STORYLINE:
Many of the millions of people trapped in eastern Congo's escalating rebellion face a terrible choice: Retreat into Congo's interior and seek the protection of a weak army in disarray, or cross into nearby Rwanda, which is accused of backing the rebels.

On Wednesday hundreds of people including Romanian military contractors, that Rwandan authorities describe as mercenaries, were seen crossing into Rwanda.

The rebels have claimed multiple victories at the expense of a larger Congolese army that has the support of a 14,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force as well as troops from African countries deployed under a regional bloc. There are even Romanian military contractors that Rwandan authorities describe as mercenaries.

The largely unchecked rebel advance that seized Goma, the region's largest city, this week has raised fresh questions about the inability of Congolese troops and their allies to protect civilians as a decades-long African war revives almost 1,000 miles from Congo's capital — and a short walk from Rwanda.

Already. more than 1,200 Congolese — including some surrendering soldiers — have sought refuge in Rwanda since the rebels marched into Goma, closing the airport and overwhelming hospitals with casualties.

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