Her story mirrors that of thousands of other families displaced by violence in eastern Congo, where Rwanda-backed rebels last month seized the key city of Goma, spreading their footprint in a blitz offensive in the mineral-rich region.
A family fleeing violence in eastern Congo sees little hope as rebels grab more land None of Zawadi Sifa's seven children have known life without fear and the constant threat of violence.
Over the past two weeks, the displacement camps surrounding the city — where over 300,000 people had sought refuge — came under heavy bombardment from the fighting between the rebels and the army, UNHCR spokesperson Matt Saltmarsh said.
Several weeks ago, the M23 rebels — the most prominent among more than a 100 armed groups vying for dominance in the region — began their advance toward Goma, North Kivu’s provincial capital, in a major escalation of the yearslong fighting with government forces.
They then moved to a camp on the outskirts of the city, but as the rebels made their way there as well, they moved to a parish deeper inside the city, where they sheltered with hundreds of others.
