Goma
Goma is a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the capital and largest city of the North Kivu Province; it is located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu and shares borders with the Bukumu Chiefdom to the north, Rwanda to the east and the Masisi Territory to the west. The city lies in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift, and is only south of the active volcano Mount Nyiragongo. With an approximate area of, the city had a population of 782,000 people in 2024,
with an additional 500,000 displaced people.
Goma is administratively divided into two urban municipalities: Goma and Karisimbi, which are further subdivided into 18 quarters, colloquially recognized as "neighborhoods" in the English lexicon. The city is home to several notable landmarks, including Goma International Airport, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Virunga National Park, the private Christian co-educational school Adventist University of Goma, the University of Goma, and is also surrounded by the active Virunga volcanic range, which includes volcanoes Nyamulagira, Nyiragongo, Mikeno, Visoke, Gahinga, Karisimbi, and Sabinyo. Goma also hosts the annual Amani Festival, the Free University of the Great Lakes Countries, which supports local development initiatives, as well as the regional cultural center and art school, Foyer Culturel de Goma.
The recent history of Goma has been dominated by the volcano and the Rwandan genocide of 1994, which in turn fueled the First and Second Congo Wars. The aftermath of these events was still having effects on the city and its surroundings in 2010. The city was captured by rebels of the March 23 Movement during the M23 rebellion in late 2012, and then retaken by Congolese government forces., the city is once again under the control of M23, following a fresh offensive by the group that culminated in the Battle of Goma.
Etymology
The name Goma derived from a modification of Ngoma drums, the city's former designation, a term of profound cultural and linguistic relevance among Bantu-speaking communities throughout Central, Southern, and East Africa. Ngoma is translated as "drum", and is commonly associated with ritual dances and ceremonies in these regions. This etymological link is believed to allude to the resonant, drum-like sounds emitted during a volcanic eruption that altered the area's historical topography. The eruption led to the destruction of the original village, prompting its inhabitants to disperse and establish three new villages: Ngoma, which evolved into modern Goma; Matcha, contemporary Sake; and Munti, which is now known as Munigi groupement of Bukumu Chiefdom.Residents of Goma are sometimes referred to as Gomatraciens, though this term is seldom used locally. The suffix "-tracien" has scientific connotation classifications, often associated with the taxonomy of animal species, particularly amphibians, which has led to its perception as artificial and unsuitable for describing human inhabitants. Instead, the term Goméen is favored for its more humanistic and natural connotation.
Geography
Goma is the largest and capital city of the North Kivu Province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.To Goma's north lies Nyiragongo Territory, the Republic of Rwanda to the east, Lake Kivu to the south, and Masisi Territory to the west. Goma is strategically located on the Goma plain, which is composed of volcanic lavas and gradual slopes gently towards Lake Kivu. The plain is also bordered by the Virunga Mountains to the west, which comprises prominent peaks such as Nyamuragira, Mount Nyiragongo, Mount Mikeno, Mount Bisoke, Mount Gahinga, Mount Karisimbi and Mount Sabyinyo. Elevations in the northern part of the plain range from, with the volcanic fields of Nyamuragira and Nyiragongo exhibiting continuous carbon dioxide degassing. Nyiragongo, in particular, has been active since the early 1900s, featuring an active lava lake and periodic eruptions, including notable events in 1977, 2002, and 2021.
The predominant terrain of Goma is volcanic, with only a small portion consisting of slightly sandy soil. The surface is covered with basalt flows, creating a skeletal soil profile. Hills such as Mount Goma, Mount Ndosho, Mount Mugunga, and Mount Busara punctuate the landscape, although some areas are relatively flat. Mount Goma, an extinct volcano, lies at the public port of Goma. This hill was formed during ancient volcanic eruptions and marks the southeastern limit of the plain.
The vegetation in Goma is predominantly savannah interspersed with bushes. The city's aesthetic appeal is further enhanced by artificial greenery, including trees planted by landowners, which mitigates temperature fluctuations. Hydrographically, Goma benefits from its southern proximity to Lake Kivu and smaller lakes such as Green Lake in Mugunga and Black Lake in Buhimba to the west.
Climate
classifies Goma's climate as a tropical savanna climate. Goma is much milder than most climates of its latitude due to the city's high altitude, and sees warm days and pleasant nights year-round.Administrative division
Goma spreads over an approximate area of and has an estimated population of nearly 2 million people according to the 2022 census. In 1984, its population was estimated at 80,000. The city is administratively divided into two urban municipalities: Goma and Karisimbi, which are further subdivided into 18 quartiers, colloquially recognized as "neighborhoods" in the English lexicon. This division was officially institutionalized through Ordinance Law No. 48-127 on 22 May 1989, which formalized the city's communes and quartiers. Each quarters is further subdivided into smaller administrative units, including avenues, cells, and a local governance model called Nyumba Kumi. Introduced in 1997 by the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo, the Nyumba Kumi system is akin to a similar administrative framework in Rwanda. The Nyumba Kumi structure is managed by appointed individuals under the authority of the quarter chief, who supervises ten households.The administrative leadership is centralized under a mayor, who is assisted by a deputy mayor. The deputy mayor is responsible for overseeing the mayors of each commune, who, in turn, manage the quarter heads. While the communes and the city are decentralized entities with legal personality and administrative autonomy, the quarters are categorized as administrative units without independent legal status or personality.
| Communes | Quartiers |
| Goma | |
| Karisimbi |
History
The village of Ngoma was a port for lake traffic and a crossroads for the overland trade routes between Central Africa and the Indian Ocean. In 1894, the explorer Gustav Adolf von Götzen, following the footsteps of an earlier missionary, was traveling to Rwanda from the eastern coast of Africa and passed through the village, which he recorded as Goma. In 1906, officers of the Congo Free State established Goma post opposite Gisenyi as a military outpost to oversee maritime activities on Lake Kivu, which later transformed into a civil status office. Around 1930, the Goma precinct accommodated camps for laborers of the Eastern Railway, initially sited along Lake Kivu's eastern shores. By the mid-20th century, Goma had become an essential hub, and served as the endpoint of the Vici Congo road network and a port for the transshipment of agricultural commodities and building materials to and from Bukavu. In 1945, it burgeoned into a state post under Rutshuru Territory's jurisdiction, experiencing a rapid demographic upsurge with approximately 8,600 inhabitants. Goma's prominence as a city grew steadily and earned it the status of an extra-customary center that year. Educational infrastructure developed in tandem, with institutions such as the "École Royale" and the École Primaire d'Application de l'institut de Goma catering to European settlers. Meanwhile, the native population relied on the Saint André School, later renamed Kyeshero Primary School, for primary education.The inception of urbanization in Belgian Congo was formalized with the promulgation of a decree on 21 February 1949, which instituted entities responsible for evaluating and issuing building permits, overseeing demolitions, modifying land plots, and making changes to the urban landscape. In 1951, Goma was elevated to the territorial and capital level of North Kivu. This period also witnessed movements advocating for administrative separation between Goma and Rutshuru, leading to the establishment of deliberative and executive bodies in Kirotshe and later in Sake.
The urban sprawl of Goma adhered to the archetypal colonial planning paradigm with the demarcation of separate neighborhoods for Europeans and indigenous Congolese. The latter was limited to contemporary Birere, a densely populated quartier abutting the Rwandan border. Meanwhile, the quartiers allocated for European settlers were concentrated within the contemporary city center and an enclave of the Himbi quartier, which persists as the most urbanized, affluent, and wealthy parts of the city.
On 25 December 1966, North Kivu regained its district status before becoming a region following the constitutional referendum of June 1967. By 10 July 1988, North Kivu attained its regional autonomy, promulgating its status as a sovereign entity within the tripartite division of the Kivu region into provinces: North Kivu, South Kivu, and Maniema. A decree issued on 14 September 1988, outlined critical urban development guidelines, such as construction alignments, the delineation of housing plans and communication routes, and the segregation of sustainable residential districts from native-dominated huts. This marked the onset of a segregationist urban paradigm, in which Congolese cities became characterized by a dichotomy between modern urban centers and native settlements. As a result of Goma's burgeoning urbanization, the city was officially designated as the provincial capital of the newly established North Kivu province under Ordinance Law No. 88-178, issued on 15 November 1988.