ICRC specialists explained to Radio Okapi that contamination from these types of weapons primarily affects some neighborhoods in the city of Goma, the provincial capital, which has been in the hands of rebels from the Alliance du Rive Congo-March 23 Movement (AFC/M23) since late January.
Expert Destin Nalanda pointed out that the clashes during the siege of the city are among the causes of the existence of these devices, as many were launched at that time and did not detonate or were simply left behind by the warring parties.
Nalanda stated that these abandoned explosive remnants caused more than 300 injuries between January and March 2025, among the more than 1,000 patients with gunshot wounds treated at CBCA Ndosho Hospital during this period.
The ICRC urged the public to remain vigilant and without touching unknown objects.
jrr/arm/mem/km







