Goma school struggles after M23 takeover

The shrill whistle of director Rose-Victorine Sudila Mwembo signals the start of classes at Mama Mulez school in Goma, but only a handful of students trickle into bullet-scarred classrooms. Once bustling with 1,200 children, the school now struggles to fill desks, with just 23 students attending.

The echoes of clashes between M23 rebels and Congolese forces (FARDC) have left families displaced and fearful of sending their children back.

“We were almost at the end of exams when the fighting erupted,” said Mwembo, gesturing to gaping holes in the ceiling caused by shelling. “Now, parents call to say their children are in hiding. How can we teach when even the buses that bring students are riddled with bullet marks?”

The disruption comes on the heels of intense conflict in Goma, which fell into the hands of M23 rebels on January 27. The region has since been the site of violent clashes between the Congolese army and M23 fighters, who Congo alleges are backed by Rwanda -- a claim Rwanda denies.

Despite a call from the M23 rebels for schools to resume normal operations, uncertainty remains for many families. Ongoing violence has created an atmosphere of fear that has not only emptied classrooms but also damaged critical infrastructure.

An estimated 400,000 people have fled the violence in eastern DR Congo this year alone, with many pouring into Goma, which serves as a humanitarian base for the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu. Over the weekend the situation worsened with various parts of Goma coming under the control of M23, putting thousands of people on the move and forcing humanitarian agencies to evacuate and hibernate staff. Already dire humanitarian conditions are worsening rapidly, and access to vulnerable populations inside and outside the city is severely limited by insecurity, roadblocks and the presence of violent armed actors.

DR Congo has a population of 113 million with an estimated 27 million in need of humanitarian assistance.  Six million people are displaced within the country.