In Photos, the Tension Before Battle
Joseph Kay among Congolese soldiers on the eve of combat
Uncategorized August 24, 2013 .wombatman1
In Photos, the Tension Before Battle
Joseph Kay among Congolese soldiers on the eve of combat
Fighting flared in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Aug. 21 after rebels from the M23 group lobbed mortars at government troops near Goma, shattering a month of relative peace.
The subsequent battle around several strategic volcanic hills claimed many lives, although the exact toll is unknown. Mortars burst, guns popped and tanks churned the lush earth.
But before the fateful nighttime blasts and the ensuing combat, the combatants in North Kivu province had little to do but train and wait … and try not to think about the coming violence—weirdly spiritual moments captured in these images from this summer.
Much more violence could be coming. The Congolese army and the U.N. peacekeeping force in Congo are mobilizing more troops and vehicles to reinforce the government soldiers around Goma.