The eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) city of Goma has been recording several incidents of violence since the night of Friday, May 23, and the evening of Saturday, May 24, 2025.
Three people have been brutally murdered while there has also been reported cases of rape and kidnapping, local sources have revealed.
On Saturday, May 24, around 7PM, a motorcycle taxi driver was shot dead by armed men in the Virunga neighborhood, near the Children Voice school.
Witnesses report that the victim was shot several times before his attackers fled on his motorcycle.
In the Himbi neighborhood on that same evening, a man suspected of theft was killed by an angry mob of residents.
According to witnesses, the victim was caught after snatching phones from passersby while riding his motorcycle.
On the night of May 23-24, a young man was killed in Bugamba, a village in the Nyiragongo territory near the city of Goma. He is believed to be the son of a well-known commissionaire in the area. The circumstances of his death are still unclear.
Another incident took place on the night of May 24-25, around 2:30 a.m., on Majengo Avenue, in the Lac-Vert neighborhood. A house was attacked by armed men who fired several shots into the air before looting the premises. A young girl, identified as Dorcas, was raped and then abducted. The assailants also physically assaulted several youths who came to help, according to testimonies gathered at the scene.
Several cases of arrests have been reported, as well as the seizure of weapons and military equipment while some of the people arrested are believed to be from the ranks of the FARDC, the PNC, as well as armed groups such as the FDLR and Wazalendo.
