For the past two years, Anuarite Siirewabo has lived with her family in the town of Goma, in the province of North Kivu. This entire region is close to the border with Rwanda, from where, since the 1990s, criminal military gangs have been attacking, robbing and killing the defenseless civilian population.
However, MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping contingent, which was unfortunately not very effective, recently withdrew from DR Kongo. Since then, a real war has been raging in North Kivu, where the various military gangs have meanwhile conquered entire regions. Thousands of people have had to flee and now they are living in refugee camps in extremely precarious conditions.
Anuarite Siirewabo, in collaboration with SOFEDEC and other local NGOs, is doing all one can do to help the displaced women and children threatened by famine by furnishing them with basic foodstuffs. Attempts have been made to provide psychological support to mothers and women in general who have been seriously traumatized, and to give them at least a minimum of prospects for the future.
This has worked out quite well. The children have been able to go to school on an improvised basis,
One has tried to provide psychological help to the mothers and women in general, who are severely traumatized, and to give them at least minimal prospects for the future.
see the SOFEDEC website.

But since the beginning of 2024, the gangs have been engaged in open warfare. As a result, the entire defenseless population of the Goma region is under direct threat of death.
AIF is in constant contact with Anuarite Siirewabo via WhatsApp.

Anuarite Siirewabo has sent this urgent appeal for emergency aid:
Friday 2 February 2024 :
Here the situation is getting worse. Just a few metres away, that’s right. 1 km from my home, a bomb exploded yesterday during the day and 3 people were injured.
Food is hard to come by. The Masisi territory can no longer produce food for the city of Goma.
The road to the town of Minova will soon be cut off. So I think it’s already going to be very hard for us.
We hope that God will help us.

The report by E. Batumike, director and journalist at radio BOBANDANO:
Saturday 3 February 2024
16 :07h ezechielbatumike88:
I am currently in MONOVA. There is no way of getting to GOMA. According to recent information, the M23 has just barricaded the Minova – Goma road, where they have just killed 2 motorcyclists who refused to live with Tutsis. The movement of the inhabitants of KIROTSHE, KIHINDO, SHASHA, BWEREMANA, KILUKU, KARUBA, BITONGA… has been observed since this morning in Minova. Matata sana.
We don’t know how to behave on their behalf. Especially in the current financial crisis.
16:14h ezechielbatumike88:
That was their big concern in order to force the government into dialogue/negotiation when it learns that Goma is cut off from the routes that supply its markets with food. To reach Goma, you now have to travel across Lake Kivu to KITUKU. And BUKAVU by road. Minova traders will no longer be able to sell their goods to Goma and Rwanda, and vice versa.
16:17h ezechielbatumike88:
Even us from the radio, we have to be very careful in choosing what to say and what not to say, because the enemy is 7 km away from us. The FARDC associated with WAZALENDO and BURUNDAIS forces have just installed heavy weapons in BWEREMANA, 3 km from us, preparing to attack. So far, bombs are exploding.
Sent by the director of radio BOBANDANO
EZECHIEL BATUMIKE

04.02.2024
Information collected by Ursula Nakamura, Switzerland;
Coordinator of the IAW Water and Pads Project