With roads often blocked by rebels in Congo, boats — the only alternative — have become death traps

GOMA, Congo -- The overcrowded boat that capsized in eastern Congo last week killed eight members of Serge Nzonga’s family along with 70 others. Days later, he was back on the same route that claimed their lives in yet another boat lacking safety measures.

Nzonga and hundreds of other passengers, including Associated Press journalists, lined up at the seaport in Goma, eastern Congo’s largest city, getting ready to board a locally made boat bound for Bukavu city on the other side of Lake Kivu, a perilous journey they would rather undertake than travel Congo’s treacherous roads.

On Wednesday, as authorities continued to investigate the accident, families of those killed last week protested at the port of Kituku, accusing officials of negligence in failing to address the insecurity in eastern Congo and of delaying rescue operations.

The capsizing of overloaded boats is becoming increasingly frequent in this central African nation as more people are abandoning the few available roads for wooden vessels crumbling under the weight of passengers and their goods.

The roads are often caught up in the deadly clashes between Congolese security forces and rebels that sometimes block major access routes. Hundreds have already been killed or declared missing in such accidents so far this year.

“This is the only way we can reach our brothers and sisters in the other province of South Kivu,” said Nzonga as his turn to board a locally made boat drew nearer.

“If we don’t take this journey, there is no other route," he said. “The road is blocked because of the war and … the roads are not paved in eastern Congo.”

In the absence of good roads in this country of more than 100 million, the rivers in Congo have been the only means of transport many here have known — especially in remote areas where passengers usually come from.

Among the frequent passengers on the boats and ferries are traders unable to transport their goods along the dangerous roads, some of them spending days or weeks along the rivers.

However, several others also board them for various other reasons: It is faster than traveling by road, the roads are in bad shape and families like Nzonga’s can travel at more affordable rates.

That leaves boats and ferries frequently overcrowded, and safety measures are hardly implemented, analysts say.

The boat that capsized on Congo's Lake Kivu last week was trying to dock just meters away from the port of Kituku when it began to sink, witnesses said.

The boat was visibly overcrowded, “full of passengers (as) it started to lose its balance,” said Francine Munyi, an eyewitness.

Authorities often threaten harsh punishments to curb overloading, enforce safety measures and punish corrupt officials, but measures promised to stop the accidents are rarely carried out, analysts say.

“The private sector dominates Lake Kivu … but the boats cannot leave the port without the authorization of the lake commissioner,” said Émile Murhula, an independent analyst, adding that authorities are also supposed to enforce the use of life jackets and remove boats that do not meet the required standards.

As the Bukavu-bound boat – named Emmanuel 4 – navigated the waters, the passengers cast worried glances at the lake, many of them without life jackets.

Canoes crisscrossed the lake in search of the bodies of victims still missing after the latest accident. At the seaport, dozens of relatives waited patiently for answers that were taking forever to come.

Nzonga, the passenger who lost eight relatives, admits it is dangerous to travel without a life jacket. But even those jackets are not provided by the government.

“We’re scared, but it’s the only way we have to get to the other province,” he said. “I still have to travel, even though we’re used to it (the accidents).”

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Associated Press journalist Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria, contributed to this report.

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