For the first time in years, the streets of Goma pulsed with rhythm and laughter instead of fear.
From Friday to Sunday, the Festival Social du Kivu turned the city into a vast open-air stage, filled with music, color, and celebration — a moment that Vice Governor Willy Manzi described as “three unforgettable days” that allowed Goma “to breathe life again.”
Boulevards were dressed in bright banners, and every corner seemed to echo with song.
Local drummers, street dancers, and choirs created a contagious energy that spread through the crowd.
The aroma of roasted meat, the beat of Congolese rumba, and the hum of thousands of voices merged into a single chorus of joy.
For once, Goma’s night sky glowed not from flames or gunfire, but from stage lights and fireworks.
“The Festival Social du Kivu has filled the streets with music, culture, laughter, and hope,” said Manzi. “Goma is no longer a city defined by fear.
It is a city reborn — where people dance together instead of running from gunfire, where neighbors embrace each other instead of living in suspicion, where unity speaks louder than hatred, tribalism, xenophobia, or inequality.”
The vice governor spoke emotionally about how far the city had come. “Not long ago, before the liberation of Goma, its people knew only death and despair,” he said.
“But today, under AFC/M23, they are discovering what it truly means to belong — to feel the heartbeat of a nation that loves them, protects them, and gives them hope for tomorrow.”
The festival’s vibrant atmosphere attracted not only residents of North Kivu but also curious visitors from beyond the border.
Some Rwandans crossed into Goma just to witness the transformation — to have a glimpse and taste of the new energy, as one festivalgoer put it.
The city’s waterfront filled with a blend of accents and faces, all united by music and curiosity.
As night fell, the scene grew even more electric.
Young people waved flags and sang in unison, while elders clapped to the beat from plastic chairs outside cafés. The city glowed, alive again, alive with hope.
“This peace, this joy, this dignity is something that many in Kinshasa can only dream of,” Manzi added, thanking AFC/M23 for “giving Goma its voice back — for giving its people a reason to smile again, for bringing back hope.”
The Festival Social du Kivu, the first major celebration since Goma came under AFC/M23 administration, showcased local talent, unity, and resilience.
More than a cultural event, it became a declaration that Goma — long defined by conflict — is ready to dance again to the rhythm of peace.