03 October 2008

On 1 October 2008 Goma, capital of North Kivu province in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, is a completely dead city. Normal activities came to a halt. No shops, banks and offices opened, and even schoolchildren who had gone to school as early as 7.00 am quickly ran back to their homes. Everything was closed and silent.

"We declared the [city 'dead'] because we want to express our adherence to the Amani (peace) Programme and [we are] also urging all armed groups to do the same and especially respecting the disengagement plan" said Mr Jason Luneno, Civil Society President of North Kivu province.

He adds that the Civil Society has taken this action as a first step to clearly inform all armed groups currently involved in the protected rebellion in eastern DRC to stop the aggression and suffering they continue to inflict on the defenceless population, and to respect their commitment to the Amani program, pointing particularly to the CNDP rebel faction of Laurent Nkunda.

"It is an occasion to express our disapproval to the CNDP rebel faction, which is currently asking for fresh negotiations" he says. He says there will be no more negotiations, and that all the armed groups have to honour the agreement signed at the peace conference in Goma on 23 January 2008.

Mr Luneno remained satisfied with the day's action of the civilian population in transforming Goma into a 'dead' city, as over 95 per cent respected the stay-home action. A brief visit to the city by a group of ActionAid staff at about 9.00am confirmed his assertion, as the main streets in Goma city were deserted apart from schoolchildren running back to their homes.

"We were already in class studying when we heard sounds of stones being pelted on the roof of our classroom. So our teacher asked us to leave without telling us exactly what has happened" said Mireille, a student from Lycée Amani.

Justin, 14 years old, said that no one told him of the day's action until he got to school, where students were told to go back home without much explanation.

"I am happy because I just get a day off to rest but if I knew in the morning I could have stayed in bed and avoided the long journey to school" Justin said.

Mr Luneno said the day was just the beginning of a series of planned peaceful demonstrations of civilians expressing their dissatisfaction with the current deplorable war situation, and that in the future there will be public demonstrations on the streets of Goma City and other major towns in North Kivu Province to force the belligerent factions to respect the Amani process and disengagement plan.

"After today, we will wait and see until the 3 October 2008, a day set aside by the Amani process for the commencement of the disengagement plan by all the fighting forces. If the disengagement plan is not respected by all, we plan to hold further public demonstrations."

He concluded by saying that this action on 1 October in Goma was also meant to demonstrate to the national and international community the dear wish of all Congolese for a lasting peace in the DR Congo.

ActionAid DRC staff, in solidarity with the civil society action and for personal safety and security reasons, were advised by the country programme manager to stay in their homes in the morning, breeze in one by one to the office for a short briefing and disperse.