"It must have been about 2.30 in the morning of Sunday January 20^th. The earth shook, the building rattled, and outside there was quite a commotion as the birds flew from their perches with squawks and screeches. This was the latest and most powerful tremor I had experienced from the Nyiragongo volcano in the aftermath of its destructive eruption, and as it hopefully returns to a state of slumber. For a short while I felt that the people sleeping on the ground outside the guest house had the safest accommodation, and that they may have been lucky that all covered sleeping areas were full.

I had arrived in Rwanda the previous Friday morning, and was met at the airport by Archdeacon Ephram, who told me that there were many people from Goma staying at the Guest house. The driver was Emmanuel from the Provincial Offices/Kigali Diocese. He told me that one of the volcanoes had erupted and that I should go to see it. I did not associate the two items of information at the time and would not do until I got to the guest house and tuned my radio to the BBC world service. Everything was quite normal when I left home!

Nyiragongo is 43 km (27 miles) from Ruhengeri where I was staying, and 19 km (12 Miles) from the town of Goma. It towers some 2000 m, or 6600 ft above the town, which is on the edge of Lake Kivu.


(Above) A destroyed restaurant in Goma.

In Ruhengeri town there were many more people than I had seen previously. They had come from the decimated town of Goma, seeking refuge in Rwanda. It is difficult for them to go into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) because of the various militias operating there, and because it is mainly forest.

Monday 21^st January I went to Goma with Bishop John of the Anglican Diocese of Shyira in Rwanda. I found it to be a difficult day, with scenes of desolation and hopelessness. More people than normal were moving along the roads as people come from Goma into Rwanda, and as some return to Goma! Goma has an estimated population of 500,000, with only 50,000 remaining after the eruption. 300,000 had fled into Rwanda, with 150,000 going into DRC.


(Above) Refugees On Road Gisenyi Ruhengeri.

The Rwandan Government had decreed that people should not be fed in towns, but should go into camps. The purpose was quite simple – they were concerned about sanitation and disease, and felt that it would be better to have people in properly prepared accommodation. This is, of course, perfectly sensible and sound unless you are a refugee when you may feel that once in a camp there is no way out. The policy was interpreted by many of the refugees as saying that they were not wanted in Rwanda. Many people returned to Goma.

The border between Rwanda and DRC s open and we were able to cross without showing any papers. For a long time now Goma has been under the control of Rwandan supporting Militia. Rwanda has, of course, been concerned about its security along the North-West border with DRC, and some people have suggested that the militia are Rwandan sponsored as a means of enhancing security. The Interhamwe militia who were largely responsible for the 1994 genocide still have upwards of 30,000 members in the area of DRC near to Rwanda.

We only went to the edge of the lava flow. The lava seemed to have come down the mountain and through the commercial centre of the town. As it went through the town it seems to have gone down roads to the side of the main flow, filling the gap between the buildings. The scene was of a street with a black mass of lava filling all space between buildings but with the buildings still standing. The lava was about 6 feet thick, and came to a fairly abrupt end, so that the effect was of a wall across the street. We were actually on the main road between Rwanda and DRC.


(Above) What was left of the main road in Goma.

The lava was hot, but people were walking across it to get to the buildings. A short way away black smoke was rising, this completing the scene of devastation. The smoke actually came from a filling station that had caught fire killing upwards of 60 looters.