Goma is a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the capital and largest city of the North Kivu Province and is located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu.
Map of the Democratic Republic of Congo highlighting North Kivu Province
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the second largest country in Africa (after Algeria). It shares borders with the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia and has a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. DR Congo's administrative divisions are ten provinces and one city-province: Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Équateur, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Katanga, Kinshasa, Maniema, Nord-Kivu and Sud-Kivu.
Geographic Location and Terrain
Goma shares borders with the Bukumu Chiefdom to the north, Rwanda to the east, and the Masisi Territory to the west. The city lies in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift, and is only 13-18 km (8.1-11.2 mi) south of the active volcano Mount Nyiragongo.
Goma is strategically located on the Goma plain, which is composed of volcanic lavas and gradual slopes gently towards Lake Kivu. The plain is also bordered by the Virunga Mountains to the west, which comprises prominent peaks such as Nyamuragira, Mount Nyiragongo, Mount Mikeno, Mount Bisoke, Mount Gahinga, Mount Karisimbi and Mount Sabyinyo. Elevations in the northern part of the plain range from 1,640 to 2,000 m (5,380 to 6,560 ft), with the volcanic fields of Nyamuragira and Nyiragongo exhibiting continuous carbon dioxide degassing.
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The predominant terrain of Goma is volcanic, with only a small portion consisting of slightly sandy soil. The surface is covered with basalt flows, creating a skeletal soil profile. Hills such as Mount Goma, Mount Ndosho, Mount Mugunga, and Mount Busara punctuate the landscape, although some areas are relatively flat. Mount Goma, an extinct volcano, lies at the public port of Goma.
The vegetation in Goma is predominantly savannah interspersed with bushes. The city's aesthetic appeal is further enhanced by artificial greenery, including trees planted by landowners, which mitigates temperature fluctuations.
Administrative Divisions and Population
Goma spreads over an approximate area of 75.72 km2 (29.24 sq mi) and has an estimated population of nearly 2 million people according to the 2022 census. In 1984, its population was estimated at 80,000.
The city is administratively divided into two urban municipalities: Goma and Karisimbi, which are further subdivided into 18 quarters, colloquially recognized as "neighborhoods" in the English lexicon. This division was officially institutionalized through Ordinance Law No. The administrative leadership is centralized under a mayor, who is assisted by a deputy mayor. In response to concerns related to population density, administrative adjustments were made that resulted in the creation of new quartiers.
Neighborhoods of Goma
- Les Volcans: Established under Ordinance Law No. 82-066 on 25 February 1982.
- Lac Vert: Constituted by Ordinance Law No. 89-127 on 22 May 1989.
- Katindo: Lies north of the Goma-Sake road, south of Lake Kivu, east of Les Volcans neighborhood, and west of Himbi neighborhood.
- Mikeno (or Birere): Established through Ordinance Law No. 89-127 on 22 May 1989.
- Himbi: Established by Decree No. 035 on 11 November 1998.
- Keshero: Officially recognized through Ordinance Law No. 89-127 on 22 May 1989.
Historical Overview
The village of Ngoma was a port for lake traffic and a crossroads for the overland trade routes between Central Africa and the Indian Ocean. The inception of urbanization in Belgian Congo was formalized with the promulgation of a decree on 21 February 1949, which instituted entities responsible for evaluating and issuing building permits, overseeing demolitions, modifying land plots, and making changes to the urban landscape.
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In 1951, Goma was elevated to the territorial and capital level of North Kivu. The urban sprawl of Goma adhered to the archetypal colonial planning paradigm with the demarcation of separate neighborhoods for Europeans (cité Européenne) and indigenous Congolese (cité indigène). The latter was limited to contemporary Birere, a densely populated neighborhood abutting the Rwandan border.
On 25 December 1966, North Kivu regained its district status before becoming a region following the constitutional referendum of June 1967. By 10 July 1988, North Kivu attained its regional autonomy, promulgating its status as a sovereign entity within the tripartite division of the Kivu region into provinces: North Kivu, South Kivu, and Maniema.
A decree issued on 14 September 1988, outlined critical urban development guidelines, such as construction alignments, the delineation of housing plans and communication routes, and the segregation of sustainable residential districts from native-dominated huts. This marked the onset of a segregationist urban paradigm, in which Congolese cities became characterized by a dichotomy between modern urban centers and native settlements, resulting in the coexistence of two disparate forms of urban development.
As a result of Goma's burgeoning urbanization, the city was officially designated as the provincial capital of the newly established North Kivu Province under Ordinance Law No. The commune of Goma was officially established through Ordinance Law No. 89-127 on 22 May 1989. In accordance with the law, both the city and commune are recognized as decentralized administrative entities vested with legal personality, while neighborhoods within them function as "administrative entities without representation or legal personality".
The Rwandan Genocide and its Aftermath
The 1994 Rwandan genocide was executed by the interim Rwandan government against the Tutsi population and Hutu moderates. In response, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), formed by Tutsi refugees from Uganda, who already held control over significant portions of northern Rwanda after their invasion in 1990 and the ongoing Civil War, overthrew the Hutu government in Kigali, forcing them out.
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Over two million Hutus fled the country to Zaire and many Tutsis and Hutus were internally displaced within Rwanda. Although Hutu extremists were responsible for the mass killing of Tutsis, scholars argue that the main perpetrators of the slaughter were the Tutsi-dominated RPF, led by Paul Kagame.
Various UN missions attempted to establish safe zones and facilitate the movement of refugees. Between 13 June and 14 July 1994, an overwhelming number of refugees, ranging from 10,000 to 12,000 per day, fled across the border to Goma, resulting in a severe humanitarian crisis, as there was an acute lack of shelter, food and water. However, the Zairean government took it upon itself to garner attention for the situation. Shortly after the arrival of nearly one million refugees, a deadly cholera outbreak swept through the Hutu refugee camps near Goma, claiming thousands of lives.
As early as mid-1996, infiltrated units from Rwanda began targeting Hutu refugee camps along the Rutshuru road, even before formal hostilities began. During the First Congo War, from mid-October 1996, Rwandan infiltrations intensified, accompanied by sporadic attacks on refugee camps along the Goma to Rutshuru road by the newly formed Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL), a rebel movement led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila, and Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) led by Paul Kagame, who aimed to overthrow Mobutu Sese Seko's regime, accusing him of excluding Tutsis from governance and failing to stop the génocidaires.
The Kibumba camp, situated twenty-five kilometers north of Goma, was the first to fall under assault. On the night of 25-26 October 1996, AFDL and RPA soldiers bombarded the Kibumba camp, resulting in casualties among Hutu refugees and the destruction of the camp's hospital. Subsequently, approximately 194,000 refugees fled Kibumba towards the Mugunga camp.
The Katale camp also faced attacks on the same night, but Forces Armées Zaïroises (FAZ)/CZSC soldiers and ex-FAR/Interahamwe units repelled the assailants initially. However, on 26 October 1996, AFDL and RPA forces attacked the Katale camp, resulting in numerous Hutu refugee casualties and the death of a Zairian soldier. They also allegedly killed several Hutu refugees using bladed weapons. By 30 October, refugees from Katale and Kahindo camps began to depart, with some heading towards Masisi via Tongo groupement of Bwito Chiefdom, while others attempted to reach the Mugunga camp through the Virunga National Park. However, AFDL and RPA troops had blocked the road to Goma, complicating the refugees' escape routes.
In the aftermath of AFDL/RPA offensives in North Kivu, some refugees opted to return to Rwanda, though their numbers remained small. UNHCR reported approximately 900 Hutu refugees returning to Rwanda between 26 October and 31 October 1996. The reluctance of many refugees to return stemmed from both physical and psychological pressures, including fear of reprisals from AFDL/RPA soldiers.
Determining the exact number of refugees killed by AFDL/RPA soldiers in attacks along the Goma to Rutshuru road was challenging. However, local NGOs involved in burial operations provided insights into the scale of the atrocities. The United Nations Mapping Report team documented numerous alleged incidents, including mass burials and killings in and around refugee camps between November 1996 and April 1997.
The violence extended beyond the dismantling of refugee camps; Hutu survivors faced persecution while attempting to flee. In November 1996, AFDL/RPA soldiers reportedly targeted Hutu survivors from Kahindo and Katale camps, executing adult males. These survivors, along with others who resettled in makeshift camps, were subjected to further attacks in the Virunga National Park, resulting in additional casualties.
On 11 April 1997, AFDL/RPA soldiers allegedly massacred hundreds of refugees near Kibumba village.
Virunga National Park
The Second Congo War and Continued Conflict
On 2 August 1998, General Sylvain Buki announced via Radio-Télévision Nationale Congolaise (RTNC) in Goma that a rebellion had erupted within the Congolese Armed Forces (FAC). The 10th Brigade of the FAC mutinied, leading to the swift capture of Goma by the RCD and Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), with minimal resistance. Goma remained beyond the reach of the Kinshasa government's forces for nearly three years, save for sporadic barrage.
Amidst these conflicts, the RCD's bias towards the local Tutsi community, Rwandan interference in provincial affairs, and the brutality of RCD and RPA troops towards civilians in North Kivu prompted many locals to join Mayi-Mayi armed groups to defend their communities. With support from Kinshasa, the Mayi-Mayi and ALiR intensified ambushes and pillaging against RCD/RPA soldiers and civilian populations. Consequently, RCD/RPA control was limited to certain urban areas.
The Second Congo War was unprecedented in Africa for the loss of civilian life in massacres and atrocities. By 2003, the Rwandan Banyamulenge-supported insurgent factions wearied of the conflict, and discord surfaced between them and Rwanda.
Since the conclusion of the Second Congo War, Goma has been plagued by conflict despite the peace agreements of 2002. In 2006, it became a focal point for the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's 81st and 83rd Brigades, who remained faithful to Congolese Tutsi military defector Laurent Nkunda, who accused the government of neglecting to assimilate his military faction into the national army and failing to safeguard their interests.
Numerous heinous crimes were committed by Nkunda during his reign of terror. Despite intermittent losses and counteroffensives by FARDC's 9th Integrated Brigade, Nkunda's forces maintained control over certain areas like Bunagana and Runyoni. By November 2006, reports cited three fatalities and 41 injuries, among them civilians, and by December, the violence had displaced over 80,000 people, many of whom sought refuge on the outskirts of Goma.
The conflict escalated further in early 2007, with Goma's healthcare organization, Groupe d'Entraide et de Solidarité Médicale (GESOM), treating an average of three rape survivors daily from both urban and rural sectors. On 17 May, FARDC arrested 14 Rwandan nationals, including members of Nkunda's brigade, as MONUSCO noted that his militia in North Kivu was wearing distinctive Rwandan military uniforms.
Later in May, the French Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bernard Prévost, visited the Mugunga displacement camp near Sake and announced that France would allocate over €2.6 million to the World Food Programme to support displaced persons in the eastern DRC. In June 2007, William Lacy Swing, Director General of the International Organization for Migration, expressed profound concern about the escalating conflict, citing rising insecurity, ethnic discord, the swelling numbers of internally displaced persons, and an increase in human rights abuses in North Kivu.
Toward the end of June, Rwandan combatants launched a deadly assault on Lake Kivu, resulting in the deaths of four people, including three fishermen and a Congolese naval officer. The attackers also looted valuable fishing equipment and an outboard motor. On 3 November 2012 there was a clash between Congolese and Rwandan troops on the border just north of Goma.
On 22 February 2021, the Italian ambassador, Luca Attanasio, was killed in an apparent kidnapping attempt near Virunga National Park. He was part of the U.N.'s World Food Programme (WFP).
As of March 2022, the clashes between the FARDC, the M23, and various armed groups in North Kivu have displaced over one million people. Among them, more than 600,000 have fled to overcrowded and unsanitary camps on the fringes of Goma. Gender-based violence has also soared in the region, resulting in the prevalence of a pervasive culture of impunity.
The M23's offensive in early February 2024 around Sake, roughly twenty kilometers from Goma, exposed civilians to heavy fighting and forced more displacement towards Goma and previously settled sites or with host families.
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Recent Developments (January 2025)
After more than three years of renewed operations in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the March 23 Movement (M23) and Rwandan Defence Force (RDF) soldiers laid siege to Goma city on 26 January 2025. Reminiscent of the M23 and RDF takeover of Goma in November 2012, the rebels and Rwandan soldiers have taken over the airport and national radio station and clashed with Congolese forces (FARDC) and allied armed groups in at least 13 neighborhoods within Goma city. Simultaneously, M23 fighters have made a push down the N2 roadway, reaching northern areas of South Kivu province.
Fighting over Goma escalates the direct conflict between regional neighbors. It brings myriad actors into conflict with the M23 and Rwandan forces, including Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC) forces, United Nations peacekeepers, and Burundian military forces. Private military companies and a group of allied local armed groups under the Wazalendo coalition are also attempting to defend various positions around Goma from the M23 and RDF.
Increased use of artillery and missile strikes is a notable characteristic of the recent fighting since 1 December 2024, continuing in January 2025 and used extensively in the offensive against Goma. The use of shelling and artillery by the M23 and RDF had significantly declined following peace agreements and ceasefire negotiations in July and August 2024. Since the RDF re-engaged in the violence in December, these forms of remote violence have resumed.
Prior to the advance, the M23 and RDF used widespread shelling before launching a ground offensive into the city. Under assault from the M23, the Congolese military also began shelling into Rwanda, striking areas in the bordering district of Rubavu, including the border town of Gisenyi.
Demonstrations opposing the violence have erupted in several towns across the DRC. The M23, known in French as the Mouvement du 23 Mars, is an armed group active in the North Kivu province of the DRC with support from the Rwandan government.
On 15 December 2024, peace talks broke down after the Congolese government refused Rwanda’s demands to negotiate directly with the M23. DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Congolese officials have labeled the M23 a terrorist group and refuse to legitimize the group through direct dialogue.
Since 1 December 2024, ACLED records an uptick in violence involving M23 rebels and Rwandan military forces across North Kivu and into northern areas of South Kivu. This effectively cut off the city of Goma. By 4 January 2025, the M23 had gained control over Masisi, a gold and coltan mining hub.
Goma serves as the provincial capital of North Kivu, an economic hub for the region, and a key trade hub with Rwanda during normalized relations. Numerous Congolese and international businesses, NGOs, and media outlets maintain offices in Goma. Due to instability in the region, the Congolese government also installed military leadership of the province, but Major General Peter Cirimwami died after clashing with the M23 on 23 January.
The M23 derives significant income from smuggling natural resources like cobalt (used in electric car batteries) and taxation of miners and road users through roadblocks in the region. The stronger bargaining position of the M23 after taking control of Goma may push the Congolese government to make a peace deal and negotiate directly with the rebels. The Congolese government may seek a military solution and increase cross-border retaliation into Rwanda.
ACLED data show that Congolese forces began shelling into Rwandan territory on 26 January and have continued striking locations in Rubavu district. So far, the Congolese government has also withdrawn diplomats from Kigali and pushed Rwandan diplomats from Kinshasa, additionally refusing to attend diplomatic discussions held by the East African Community in Tanzania.
Unlike the last major offensive in 2012 - when civilian targeting comprised nearly half of the total violence involving the M23 - the M23 rebels have remained more disciplined in the treatment of non-combatants. However, civilian targeting by the M23 spiked in January 2025 as the rebels battled to control Goma. ACLED records more than 25 civilian targeting events in January 2025, the most since the previous takeover of Goma in November 2012. As the M23 pushes out the FARDC and exerts control over Goma, civilians may face dire consequences of the violence and humanitarian needs may increase.
The M23 is now threatening to march "all the way to Kinshasa," the DRC capital, in a conflict that could have seismic impacts across central Africa.
M23 leaders say that they are fighting to protect ethnic minorities against a DRC government they accuse of fomenting hate speech and discrimination. Another key demand is the return of Congolese Tutsi refugees, many of whom live in Uganda and Rwanda, to Congo. The DRC government, however, considers the M23 a "puppet" of Rwandan interests.
President Felix Tshisekedi has vowed to retake Goma. "We will fight and we will triumph," he said in an address to the nation on Wednesday evening.
A 2024 United Nations report estimated that the rebels smuggled at least 150 metric tons of coltan - used in electronics - into Rwanda last year.
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