CPTnet
18 December 2008 

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO REFLECTION:  Walking in Goma
by Wendy Lehman

I went for a walk by myself a couple mornings ago to buy some tomatoes for lunch and ran into between fifty and seventy-five soldiers in downtown Goma. 

As I reached Goma's city center, every winding dirt road into the main road had several soldiers on it with automatic weapons.  As many as a dozen soldiers worked some checkpoints.  They were searching bags, wheelbarrows, and the few small shops that were open. I was acutely aware of how real the war is here in Goma, and of being by myself in a situation I was only slowly beginning to understand.  

Our partners here had told us that everyday life continues in Goma.  But just like that, one day, dozens of soldiers are on the street with checkpoints interrupting daily life.

Our partners had spoken of soldiers acting with impunity and of people arrested illegally with no charge.  One spoke of seeing detainees in shipping containers with no window, no light, and no air, with salt scattered on the floor as a "bed."  To get fed while in prison, one's family members need to bring food, and they have to pay a fee to do so.

I thought of these things as I walked along, observing the situation in as much detail as I could for documentation purposes.  I wondered how the soldiers would respond if the whole team were here and watched.  If we took notes.  If we took photos.  How would civilians respond?

I learned later from my teammates that the soldiers set up checkpoints into the city because they were looking for hidden rebel guns, that vendors were facing significant hardships because they couldn't bring their vegetables and other goods into Goma.

On my way out of the city center, one soldier walked behind me.  I'm sure he was on his way somewhere else, but it did give me pause.  He soon passed me, ambling along in an army green raincoat, beret, and with an AK-47 slung over his back.  I walked behind him for a few minutes and watched the gun gently bounce on his back.  I looked at the trigger and wondered how many times he had pulled it.  I wondered what he'd seen, what he'd done, or what had been done to him.  Soon he pulled off to the side.

I then wondered how soldiers and civilians saw me.  We have been warmly welcomed here and have received great hospitality.  But those who don't know us have no reason to trust us.  One of our partners told us that many people see foreigners here this way:  "Foreigners are here to get money or give money."  CPT is not here to do either of these.  Our challenge is to show who we are, and to see if what we do can be useful in supporting the vision of peace workers here who believe things will change.