Emergencies in Congo

From child soldier to top student in Congo

From child soldier to top student in Congo

By Taylor Toeka, Caritas Goma Francais Germain Muhindo comes top of his class almost always, yet a few months ago the eight year old first grader had never even seen a chalkboard. But he had seen war. He was forced into being a child soldier for three months in September 2012 by fighters in the ...

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Urgent need of assistance for displaced Congolese suffering from mental disorders

Urgent need of assistance for displaced Congolese suffering from mental disorders

Read in French The end of a Caritas Goma project last December has meant that many patients suffering from severe mental disorders are completely vulnerable and left without care and support. The Mapendo health centre, 4 km from Rutshuru, is filled with busy men and women. Some look  healthy, others who are accompanied by their ...

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Rebel repatriation goes wrong in Congo leading to new crisis

Rebel repatriation goes wrong in Congo leading to new crisis

An effort to repatriate Rwanda rebels currently in the Democratic Republic of Congo has ended in violence that’s forced thousands to flee. 250 rebels from Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) plus 500 of their dependents gave themselves up for repatriation to Congolese government troops and local militias in Walungu, South Kivu in ...

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Hungry and homeless in Congo’s East

Hungry and homeless in Congo’s East

By Taylor Toeka Kakala As a result  of the fighting between the Congolese army and the rebels group M23 in the  north of Goma, many displaced  have sought refuge in the schools of Goma. “We wake up very early to leave the classes  for the  students to use,” said Beatrice Rukundo, a  squatter of Ushindi ...

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Congo bishops decry chaos in East

Congo bishops decry chaos in East

The Catholic bishops of the Democratic Republic of Congo are urging for an end to the conflict in the east of the country. They condemn rebel militia for seizing the city of Goma last month and the foreign powers who support them. They also urge their government and politicians to address the root causes of ...

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Debout femme de Mugunga!

Debout femme de Mugunga!

″C’est juste mon corps, devenu insensible, qui était allongé là.  Je ne pouvais plus sentir leurs mains, leurs peaux et leurs odeurs″, témoigne une jeune fille de 12 ans, violée au début de ce mois par quatre hommes armés au camp de Mugunga 3, à la périphérie ouest de Goma. Caritas Goma a enregistré, entre ...

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Caritas aid gets through to Congo camps

Caritas aid gets through to Congo camps

By Taylor Toeka Kakala , Caritas Goma The sun begins to break as a long line of tired women and anxious men forms in front of the Caritas Goma food distribution point. In the middle of the line, Marceline Dusabimana, 36, a mother of six children, waits in turn to receive oil, maize flour, beans ...

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