Goma - Wikipedia

Place in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Goma is the capital of North Kivu province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu, next to the Rwandan city of Gisenyi. The lake and the two cities are in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift system. Goma lies only 13–18 km (8.1–11.2 mi) south of the active Nyiragongo Volcano. The recent history of Goma has been dominated by the volcano and the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, which in turn fuelled the First and Second Congo Wars. The aftermath of these events was still having effects on the city and its surroundings in 2010. The city was captured by rebels of the March 23 Movement during the M23 rebellion in late 2012, but has since been retaken by government forces.

History [ edit ]

Goma at the centre of the refugee crisis [ edit ]

The Rwandan Genocide of 1994 was perpetrated by the provisional Rwandan government on the Tutsi population and Hutu moderates. In response the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), formed by Tutsi refugees in Uganda, which already controlled large areas of northern Rwanda following its 1990 invasion and the ongoing Civil War, overthrew the Hutu government in Kigali and forced it out. One of the many UN missions attempted to provide a safe zone in the volatile situation and provided safe passage for the refugees, however they were French. From June 13 to July 14, 1994, 10,000 to 12,000 refugees per day crossed the border into Goma. The massive influx created a severe humanitarian crisis[2], as there was an acute lack of shelter, food and water. However, the Zaïrean government took it upon itself to garner attention for the situation. Shortly after the arrival of nearly one million refugees [3], a deadly cholera outbreak claimed thousands of lives in the Hutu refugee camps around Goma. RPF aligned forces, mainly actors in the conflict, crossed the border and in acts of revenge also claimed several lives.

Goma in the First Congo War [ edit ]

Hutu militias and members of the Hutu provisional government were among the refugees, and they set up operations from the camps around Goma attacking ethnic Tutsis in the Kivus and Rwandan government forces at the border. For political reasons the Kinshasa government of the then Zaire led by Joseph Mobutu did not prevent the attacks, and so the Rwandan government and its Ugandan allies threw their support behind the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Zaire, a rebel movement led by Laurent Kabila against Mobutu. Rwandan forces stormed the camps at Goma, resulting in thousands of additional deaths, and with their help and that of Uganda, Kabila went on to overthrow Mobutu's regime in the First Congo War, which ended in 1997.

Goma in the Second Congo War [ edit ]

Within a year Kabila had quarrelled with his former allies, and in 1998 the Rwandan government backed a Goma-based rebel movement against Kabila, the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD, sometimes called RCD-Goma) made of Banyamulenge people, related to the Tutsis. They captured Bukavu and other towns, and the Second Congo War began. The Goma refugee camps, in which the Hutu had created a militia called the FDLR (Democratic Force for the Liberation of Rwanda), were again attacked by Rwandan government forces and the RCD.

The Second Congo War was unprecedented in Africa for the loss of civilian life in massacres and atrocities. By 2003 the Banyamulenge had become tired of the war and friction emerged between them and Rwanda. In 2002 and 2003 a fragile negotiated peace emerged between the many sides involved in the war.

Conflict since the end of the war [ edit ]

Aerial view of Goma, October 2010

There have been numerous outbreaks of violence since 2003. The Hutu FDLR remains in the forests and mountains north and west of Goma, carrying out attacks on the Rwandan border and on the Banyamulenge. The Congolese defence forces are unable or unwilling to stop them, and as a consequence Rwanda continues to support Banymulenge rebels such as the RCD and General Nkunda, and to carry out incursions into North Kivu in pursuit of the FDLR.[4]

View of houses in Goma, 2014

In September 2007 large-scale fighting threatened to break out again as the 8,000-strong militia of General Nkunda, based around Rutshuru, broke away from integration with the Congolese army and began attacking them in the town of Masisi north-west of Goma. MONUC (United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo) began airlifting Congolese troops into Goma and transferring them by helicopter from Goma International Airport to Masisi.[4]

On October 27, 2008, the Battle of Goma broke out in the city between the Congolese army, supported by MONUC, and Nkunda's CNDP rebels; 200,000 refugees fled the town.[5] On 3 November 2012 there was a clash between Congolese and Rwandan troops on the border just north of Goma. Goma was later seized by the M23 movement on November 20, 2012.[6] "Tens of thousands" of civilians fled the area.[7]

Politics [ edit ]

See also: List of governors of North Kivu  [fr] province

Goma is represented in the National Assembly by six deputies:

List of mayors [ edit ]

Volcanic activity around Goma [ edit ]

The Great Rift Valley is being pulled apart, leading to earthquakes and the formation of volcanoes in the area.

2002 Eruption of Nyiragongo [ edit ]

Computer image of Nyiragongo volcano generated from satellite photographs, showing the Goma-Gisenyi conurbation on the lake shore in the foreground. In the background, left, is the

Nyamuragira

volcano. Note that the vertical scale has been exaggerated.

In January 2002, Nyiragongo erupted, sending a stream of lava 200 metres (219 yd) to one kilometre (1,100 yards) wide and up to two metres (6½ ft) deep through the center of the city as far as the lake shore. Agencies monitoring the volcano were able to give a warning and most of the population of Goma evacuated to Gisenyi. The lava destroyed 40% of the city (more than 4,500 houses and buildings). There were some fatalities caused by the lava and by emissions of carbon dioxide, which causes asphyxiation. The lava also covered over the northern 1 km of the 3-kilometre (9,800 ft) runway of Goma International Airport, isolating the terminal and apron which were at that end.[11] The lava can easily be seen in satellite photographs,[12] and aircraft can be seen using the 2-km (6,500-ft) southern section of the runway which is clear of lava.

In 2005, volcanic activity again threatened the city.

Currently the scientists at Goma are monitoring Nyiragongo.

The threat posed by Lake Kivu [ edit ]

Lake Kivu is one of three lakes in Africa identified as having huge quantities of dissolved gas held at pressure in its depths. Two of the others, Lake Monoun and Lake Nyos, experienced a limnic eruption or 'lake overturn', a catastrophic release of suffocating carbon dioxide probably triggered by landslides. Lake Nyos overturn was particularly lethal, killing nearly two thousand people in the area around the lake. Kivu is 2,000 times bigger than Lake Nyos and also contains dissolved methane as an additional hazard - though concentration of carbon dioxide is much lower than in Lake Nyos.[13] Nearly two million people, including the population of Goma, live in the vicinity of Lake Kivu and could be in danger from a limnic eruption triggered by one of the nearby volcanoes and the earthquakes associated with them.[14]

The phenomena known locally as 'mazuku' has killed children even more recently.[15]

Transport [ edit ]

Goma International Airport provides domestic flights and, as of 2016, one international flight. The city lies on the Rwandan border and neighboring Gisenyi is connected to Kigali, the Rwandan capital, by road and regular buses travel between these cities in under four hours. Goma is connected to Bukavu by ferries, to Butembo, Beni, Bunia and Kisangani either by domestic flights or by road, and regular buses travel from Goma to these cities. It takes one to two days of travel,(by bus) to arrive in those cities. Security concerns on this road {Grand Nord Adventure} is more and more arranged since 2016 by local authorities.

Climate [ edit ]

Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as a tropical savanna climate (Aw).[16]

Climate data for Goma
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 25.6
(78.1)
25.7
(78.3)
25.7
(78.3)
25.4
(77.7)
25.3
(77.5)
25.3
(77.5)
25.2
(77.4)
25.8
(78.4)
25.9
(78.6)
25.7
(78.3)
25.3
(77.5)
25.4
(77.7)
25.5
(77.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) 20
(68)
20.1
(68.2)
20.1
(68.2)
20
(68)
19.9
(67.8)
19.4
(66.9)
19.7
(67.5)
19.8
(67.6)
19.8
(67.6)
19.9
(67.8)
19.7
(67.5)
19.9
(67.8)
19.9
(67.7)
Average low °C (°F) 14.4
(57.9)
14.6
(58.3)
14.6
(58.3)
14.7
(58.5)
14.6
(58.3)
13.6
(56.5)
13.1
(55.6)
13.9
(57.0)
14
(57)
14.2
(57.6)
14.1
(57.4)
14.4
(57.9)
14.2
(57.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 94
(3.7)
84
(3.3)
117
(4.6)
119
(4.7)
108
(4.3)
55
(2.2)
29
(1.1)
70
(2.8)
117
(4.6)
143
(5.6)
138
(5.4)
118
(4.6)
1,192
(46.9)
Average rainy days 16 16 19 22 18 8 6 8 15 20 22 19 189
Mean daily sunshine hours 5 5 5 5 5 6 7 5 5 5 5 5 5
Source #1: Climate-Data.org, altitude: 1531 m [16]
Source #2: Weather2Travel for rainy days and sunshine[17]

Other features of Goma [ edit ]

See also [ edit ]

References [ edit ]

  1. ^ "Goma: M23 rebels capture DR Congo city". BBC News. 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 21 November 2012 . Retrieved 18 November 2012 .
  2. ^ Healers Without Borders, Radio Netherlands Archives, February 15, 1995
  3. ^ The Long Wait, Radio Netherlands Archives, November 13, 1995
  4. ^ a b "Fear of fresh conflict in Congo as renegade general turns guns on government forces." Chris McGreal, The Guardian, Monday September 3, 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2007.
  5. ^ "U.N. says recent Congo fighting uproots 200,000". CNN. 2008-10-27. Archived from the original on October 29, 2008 . Retrieved 2008-10-28 .
  6. ^ "Congolese rebels seize Goma, take airport." Melanie Goubyrukmini Callimachi, "Bloomberg BusinessWeek", Tuesday November 20, 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  7. ^ Pete Jones; Jerome Delay (23 November 2012). "Congo Violence: Tens of Thousands of Civilians Flee Goma". Huffington Post . Retrieved 23 November 2012 .
  8. ^ "Adolphe Lumanu Nomme Un Nouveau Maire À La Tête La Ville De Goma Au Nord-Kivu", Lecongolais.cd  [no] (in French), 30 September 2011
  9. ^ "RDC : le maire de Goma accuse le M23 de causer l'insécurité dans la périphérie de sa ville", Radiookapi.net (in French), DR Congo, 27 January 2013
  10. ^ "Dieudonné Malere nommé maire de Goma", Radiookapi.net (in French), 30 August 2015
  11. ^ "Cooperative Observations at Nyiragongo Volcano in D.R. of Congo". Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo. Retrieved 3 September 2007.
  12. ^ Google Earth has high resolution photographs showing the affected part of the airport at coordinates -1.658, 29.237. Retrieved 3 September 2007.
  13. ^ Halbwachs; et al. (2002-03-09). "Investigations in Lake Kivu(East Central Africa) after the Nyiragongo Eruption of January 2002: Specific study of the impact of the sub-water lava inflow on the lake stability" (PDF) . Solidarities. Archived from the original on 2008-08-17 . Retrieved 2008-08-17 . CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  14. ^ "Killer Lakes". BBC Two, Thursday 4 April 2002. Summarised at www.bbc.co.uk.
  15. ^ "NOVA - Transcripts - Volcano Under the City - PBS". www.pbs.org . Retrieved 10 April 2018 .
  16. ^ a b "Climate: Goma - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org . Retrieved 4 November 2013 .
  17. ^ "Goma Climate and Weather Averages, Congo-Kinshasa". Weather2Travel . Retrieved 4 November 2013 .
  18. ^ "Helping artists in the middle of conflict". Deutsche Welle. 2014-04-28 . Retrieved 2014-04-29 .
  19. ^ "Seminar Redemptoris Mater in Goma". Vicariatus Urbis. 2014-04-28 . Retrieved 2016-12-21 .
  20. ^ "Defeated Congo rebels surrender". Reuters / Gulf Times. 2013-03-16 . Retrieved 2014-04-29 .
  21. ^ "Inauguration du nouveau bâtiment de l'état civil de la mairie de Goma". wordpress.com. 9 June 2013 . Retrieved 10 April 2018 .
  22. ^ "Citizenship - Funding opportunities 2013 - Action1 - Measure 1.1 Town Twinning citizens meetings - EACEA". eacea.ec.europa.eu . Retrieved 10 April 2018 .

External links [ edit ]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Goma.

Coordinates: 1°41′S 29°14′E  /  1.683°S 29.233°E  / -1.683; 29.233

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goma