Refugees, surrendering Congolese soldiers, and stranded truckers gathered at the Rwandan border on Tuesday, seeking safety after rebels seized the nearby Congolese city of Goma, forcing many to flee.
Gunfire and explosions echoed from Goma late Monday and into early Tuesday, audible in Rwanda’s northeastern Rubavu district, near the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Throughout the night, people waited on the Congolese side of the border, carrying mattresses and whatever belongings they could salvage, as Rwanda-backed M23 fighters advanced on Goma.
At daylight on Tuesday, Rwanda began allowing them in. Some raised their hands in gratitude as they crossed the border.
“We saw and heard terrible things—dead bodies, gunshots, bombs,” said Alois Emmanuel Bebe, a Tanzanian trucker among 47 drivers who sought refuge in Rwanda after the fighting in eastern Congo left them stranded.
The recent escalation of the three-year insurgency in Congo has displaced around 400,000 people since the beginning of the year.
As in previous crises in the conflict-ridden region, some refugees have fled to Rwanda, despite accusations from Congo and the United Nations that Rwanda has fuelled the conflict by supplying troops and weapons.
Families, carrying bundles wrapped in colourful fabric, gathered on Tuesday at an open-air refugee reception centre in the Rwandan border town of Gisenyi, awaiting registration. Small children clung to their mothers, some of whom had babies strapped to their backs or chests.
Wherever, Rwandan authorities processed Congolese soldiers who had crossed the border.
Inside a large hall in Gisenyi, dozens of men sat on the floor under the watch of Rwanda Defence Force members. Some wore military fatigues with Congolese insignia, while others were in civilian clothing. A few received medical treatment for minor injuries and cuts.
Rwandan regional ambassador Vincent Karega stated that 102 Congolese soldiers voluntarily surrendered by crossing into Rwanda on Monday.
“More continue to cross today. They are fleeing the battles,” he told Reuters, adding that they would be treated like other refugees after being disarmed and registered.
“They will return home when they choose or may decide to seek exile in Rwanda or elsewhere.”
The total number of civilians and soldiers who have fled to Rwanda in recent days remains unclear. As of November, Congolese citizens made up over 56% of the 114,461 refugees in Rwanda, according to the UN refugee agency.
The Congolese government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
