By Editorial,
Residents of eastern Congo’s largest city of Goma greeted the arrival of Rwanda-backed rebels with trepidation on Monday, some staying indoors and others coming out to cheer in what one called a “show” of happiness.
The M23 fighters swept into Goma, a lakeside city of about 2 million people, on Sunday for the second time in 13 years when they met little resistance from Democratic Republic of Congo’s army, although gunfire could be heard in parts of town yesterday.
In some areas of Goma, a hub for humanitarian operations across the region, residents lined the streets to applaud and fist-bump heavily-armed fighters in green fatigues and matching rubber boots, videos posted on social media showed.
Four residents interviewed by Reuters, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, said the apparently warm welcome was born of self-preservation. END