'I am scared': Inside city overrun by rebels as blasts and crack of bullets force families to hide
'I am scared': Inside city overrun by rebels as blasts and crack of bullets force families to hide
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Congolese soldiers solemnly moved through the streets of downtown Goma - with white bands around their heads and their hands empty of guns. They are battered from days of non-stop fighting and surrendering to the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels taking control of the regional capital and humanitarian hub.
Congolese soldiers laid down their fatigues on the road near the watch posts we saw them in just 24 hours before. The sounds of nearby shelling break the sombre mood. The sense of capture is palpable. But some soldiers are still fighting. There are pockets of resistance in streets across town and the sounds of automatic gunfire and shelling are almost constant.
Our hotel has become a shelter for some families waiting to see what happens next. As the hours of battle drag on, some are sleeping on couches in the lobby. The hotel staff watch the windows as the fight comes to the street in front of our gate. "I am scared but hoping peace will prevail. I am concerned for my family because I haven't seen them since yesterday. I have only been communicating with them over the phone," says 27-year-old driver Bahati Jean Claude.
"I just want the conflict to end. I don't care who is in charge of Goma, all I care about is peace.". Eyewitness:Sky News team in DRC attacked as civilians flee. Peace is far from reality in Goma right now - at least 17 people have been killed and 370 injured. Prisoners who had been working to escape the central prison on Monday morning managed to break out by the afternoon. Looting was reported in the airport and other parts of town.
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