Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo - February 07, 2025 Storyline: The fierce clashes between the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the March 23 Movement (M23) armed group have left Goma International Airport littered with remnants of battle, underscoring the destruction of an escalating turmoil in the African country. On Jan 27, the M23 claimed control of Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province and an important transportation hub in eastern DRC, in the worst escalation in more than 10 years. Now, hundreds of Congolese soldiers remain detained at a military base near the Goma airport. The facility, now under M23 control, bears stark evidence of combat: a damaged Su-25 attack aircraft with its engine lying detached on a hangar floor, dozens of helmets piled up in a corner of the airport, gutted military trucks and aircraft on the runways, as well as guns, bulletproof vests and rocket shells that are scattered all over the airport. M23 forces have seized a large number of vehicles and heavy weaponry at the airport, with some arms already redeployed to frontlines as the group pushes southward. The United Nations has repeatedly called for the reopening of the airport for humanitarian aid as the conflict has created a dire humanitarian situation in the region, but it seems unlikely in the near term. The M23 is now advancing along Lake Kivu toward Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu Province, roughly 200 kilometers from Goma. The M23 group has captured Nyabibwe, a mineral-rich town in South Kivu, placing their forces within 100 kilometers of Bukavu. Along the route, many Congolese military bases have been destroyed, with hastily discarded ammunition, including grenades, large-caliber bullets and artillery shells, in surrounding areas indicating chaotic retreats by government troops. As fighting shifts toward Bukavu, life in Goma has begun a tentative recovery. Markets and shops have reopened, and traffic congestion has returned to some roads. At the border crossing between Goma and Rwanda, long queues of trucks await clearance to deliver supplies, hinting at fragile economic resumption. At the request of the DRC government, the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC, commonly known as MONUSCO, withdrew its nearly 13,000 armed peacekeepers from the country in 2024. Although the Southern African Development Community has later sent nearly 3,000 armed personnel to fill in the peacekeeping gap, but shorthanded mission fails to cover many areas in eastern DRC. Shotlist: Goma, DR Congo - Feb 7, 2025: 1. Various of soldiers in military base; 2. Various of debris at Goma International Airport; 3. Various of tanks; 4. Various of damaged Su-25 attack aircraft, engine; 5. Various of abandoned military equipment; 6. Various of planes, military vehicles on runways; 7. Various of damaged military vehicles; 8. Various of damaged airport facilities; 9. Various of abandoned ammunition; 10. Various of people on street; 11. Various of trucks at border crossing; FILE: Goma, DR Congo - 2023: 12. Various of planes, people at Goma International Airport; 13. Vehicles of peacekeepers running on road; 14. Flag of United Nations. [Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland]