In rebel-held Goma, an uneasy calm and business unusual

Business as usual in rebel-held Goma in eastern DRC on July 18, 2025.

Photo credit: Moses Gahigi | Nation Media Group

Five months after I visited Goma, the provincial capital North Kivu province in eastern Congo, during its capture by M23/AFC rebels, I returned last week.

When I was there in early February, the streets were littered with dead bodies, debris, and remains of bombed out vehicles and houses.