In the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the town of Goma, home to over a million people, is left without electricity. The high-voltage lines were cut during fighting between the Rwandan-backed M23 and the Congolese army backed by its allies. The power cut has caused a water shortage in Goma.
In the Mabanga Sud district, in the heart of the town, we are greeted by darkness. Residents are lighting torches and candles in their homes to keep the lights on.
Maombi, an elderly maize seller, also complains about the lack of water. ‘We’ve been living without water and electricity since they cut the connection during the fighting. We buy batteries and a torch to help us see’. A little further on, Kambere Muyisa, a young man from Goma, describes the situation as unacceptable: ‘Goma is in darkness and there is no water in our taps. This is very serious, because these are essential elements for human life. We are experiencing more than suffering.
Local civil society in the town of Goma describes the situation as catastrophic: ‘The hospitals receiving the wounded have no electricity, which is a problem.
Last Friday, Société Virunga announced in a press release that the lines that supply electricity to Goma and Nyiragongo had been damaged during clashes between the FARDC and its allies against the Rwandan-backed M23.
