Source: Christian Science Monitor
by Kurt Shillinger
“In late January, an armed rebel group backed by Rwanda swept through the city of Goma on the eastern edge of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The humanitarian toll since then has been grim. In early June, Human Rights Watch reported that the group, M23, ‘has created a climate of fear … to solidify their control by whatever means necessary.’ But when reporter Sophie Neiman traveled to Goma in April for a series of stories featured in this week’s cover package, she found another mindset among its residents that even the rebels have had to acknowledge. ‘All over Congo today, people are expecting us to come because they want change,’ M23 leader Corneille Nangaa told Sophie. ‘They want good governance. … They want development.’ Uniformed militants patrol the city in armored cars, but they have also reopened schools and restored some water and electricity.” (06/26/25)