Rubber, Congo – Rubber, Congo (AP) – Rebels backed by Rwanda He captured a city of the east of Congo City a month ago on Friday. Rubber residents, which was once a critical and humanitarian trade center, say they are fighting on several fronts, even when the rebels try to consolidate their administration and restart normal life.
In rubber streets, which is close to the border with Rwanda, economic activities have slightly slow down since The M23 The rebels took over January 28. Banks are still closed, basic services such as trade slowly restart and thousands displaced by the conflict are desperate for help and temporary shelters.
“Finding food has become a real challenge,” said Jeannette Safari, his face marked by exhaustion and fear.
The mother of a 26 -year -old is now making plans to flee Burundi. Safari had been working as an official, but with the government offices that are not yet executed, reaching the end of the month has been a fight for thousands of government workers as their life where M23 controls, he said.
“Life is cheaper there (in Burundi), and although I don’t know exactly how I will fix, I will,” he said.
The city and its surroundings had organized more than 500,000 displaced people in addition to their population of 2 million, before the M23 rebels took it last month in a great escalation of their struggle of years with government forces in the central nation of Africa.
With the support of around 4,000 troops from Rwanda, the rebels fought against the Congoleña forces in excess and surpassed in number, many of which were surrendered, and began to gain more territories, continueAn important city in the region. The expansion is not precedents, unlike 2012, when M23 captured rubber for days, and has increased the risks of the regional war, analysts say.
Although the rebels have agreed to the conversations that the neighbors have pressed, the Congo government accuses them of carrying out human rights abuses and using their campaign to advance the interests of Rwanda.
The rebellion has meant that the devastated city, which used to be a key commercial route, has fought economically, since schools and other social services have not returned to normal levels.
The M23 has tried to strengthen its control of the city, pressing for social services such as electricity and water supplies to return. But life is still far from normal, say the locals, many of them live with fear and uncertainty about what could happen next.
The roads that were ever full of heavy traffic and shopping stores are often deserted and strongly militarized with armed rebels in each corner.
As M23 advanced to rubber in January, the number of residents fleeing security grew sharply from hundreds to thousands. When the city had fallen into the rebellion, hundreds of thousands of people who were already displaced by the conflict had fled once again, said the UN.
Despite M23 promises to restart economic activities, commercial banks have not resumed operations since the local branch of the Central Bank of the Congo remains closed.
Banking closures have generated concerns that the rebels can search for alternative banking systems regardless of the control of the Congolese government, a great setback to regional efforts to withdraw from the city.
“The only solution to this crisis would be a rigorous management of available resources and the establishment of alternative financial structures such as microfinance institutions,” said Deo Begehya, professor of economic sciences based in rubber.
The prolonged suspension of banking activities could further weaken the local economy and tighten the population, which is already fighting with jobs and price increases, he added.
Meanwhile, residents continue to flee from rubber to other neighboring countries and towards the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, at approximately 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) away.
At the crossroads of the main border between Congo and Rwanda, the number of refugees trying to cross Rwanda continue to grow as hundreds try to obtain the pass “CEPGL” that facilitates free circulation within the region of the great lakes.
Kasereke Syausza, owner of an electronics store in rubber, said he is also contemplating to leave the city because he cannot withdraw effective for his business.
“I am considering moving to Kinshasa, but I risk being arrested simply because I come from the east,” he said.
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Asadu in Corned reported from Abuja, Nigeria.
