Goma

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 (CFE), initially sited along Lake Kivu's eastern shores. In 1945, it burgeoned into a state post under Rutshuru Territory's jurisdiction, experiencing a rapid demographic upsurge with approximately 8,600 inhabitants. Meanwhile, the native population relied on the Saint André School, later renamed Kyeshero Primary School, for primary education. 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 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 (quartier les Volcans) and an enclave of the Himbi quartier, which persists as the most urbanized, affluent, and wealthy parts of the city. Over two million Hutus fled the country to Zaire and many Tutsis and Hutus were internally displaced within Rwanda. Although Hutu extremists were responsible for the mass…

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 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. The predominant terrain of Goma is volcanic, with only a small portion consisting of slightly sandy soil. 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. 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. Goma is administered by a mayor, who is assisted by a deputy mayor responsible for overseeing the commune mayors (bourgmestres). The bourgmestres then supervise the quarter chiefs (chefs de quartiers). Each quartier is then subdivided into avenues, cells, and Nyumba Kumi (literally, "ten houses"), a system in which ten households are overseen by a person appointed by the quartier chief. A subsequent order, No. 10/037/CAB/GP-NK/98, established Bujovu quarter in the Karisimbi commune. Bujovu included the Byahi and Tyazo cells, formerly part of Majengo and Virunga quarters, respectively.

Most-observed species

• Black Kite

  Milvus migrans (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves
  1,076
• Common Bulbul

  Pycnonotus barbatus (Desfontaines, 1789) · Aves
  1,027
• Baglafecht Weaver

  Ploceus baglafecht (Daudin, 1802) · Aves
  978
• Pied Crow

  Corvus albus Statius Muller, 1776 · Aves
  964
• African Pied Wagtail

  Motacilla aguimp Temminck, 1820 · Aves
  922
• Red-eyed Dove

  Streptopelia semitorquata (Rüppell, 1837) · Aves
  905
• Hadada Ibis

  Bostrychia hagedash (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  757
• White-browed Robin-Chat

  Cossypha heuglini Hartlaub, 1866 · Aves
  707

Most recent

• M 4.2 — 2026-03-12
  51 km W of Sake, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• M 4.5 — 2026-02-02
  61 km W of Ntungamo, Uganda
• M 4.4 — 2025-11-01
  10 km ESE of Cyangugu, Rwanda
• M 4.3 — 2025-04-05
  27 km W of Kibuye, Rwanda
• M 4.4 — 2024-11-30
  48 km W of Ntungamo, Uganda
• M 4.5 — 2023-09-24
  16 km NNW of Nzega, Rwanda