Congo

Posted by Mikkel

In a second attempt we succeeded and made it in to the ”promised land” of Congo. The town of Goma – on the border with Rwanda - looks like what it is. The result of one disaster after another: 75 years of colonial exploitation, 35 years of miserable and corrupt leadership and since 1995 a confusing armed conflict involving up to 5-6 different countries, numerous rebel groups, tons of valuable natural resources and absolutely no respect for human life and dignity. In 2002 the devastating eruption of the Nyarigongo volcano even offered a natural disaster supplement to all this human caused suffering.

Three things characterize Goma. The black and dusty lava rock which overflowed the city in 2002. It now serves as building material for houses and walls. The miserable state of it all: roads, houses, the clothes people are wearing, etc. And at the same time the presence of big money with huge cars and fancy villas, thousands of UN personnel and NGO workers. One guy took us to one of the areas where the “mineral mafia bosses” invest their money in building big houses. Houses that the NGO workers are then renting for prices comparable to the housing prices back home in Copenhagen or Amsterdam.

The top of the Nyarigongo volcano offers a very different perspective. It’s a tough and steep hike walking on old lava rock. My expectations rising together with my heart beat. And yet I was still flabbergasted when I took the last steep to the rim and looked down into the crater. A mega giant hole in the earth with a big lake of bubbling, noisy, red glowing lava at the bottom. Makes you feel very small. 

PS: For all the "hobby volcanologues" out there. Nyarigongo is one of 5 active volcanos with a lava lake in the world today. The other four are in Ethiopia, Chile, Hawaii and Antarctica. This one is supposedly the biggest and most active one.