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Khthon
War Crimes
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Khthon documents mass graves, atrocity crimes, and forensic evidence from conflict zones worldwide. Our work is strictly humanitarian and apolitical.

This site may contain imagery and descriptions of deceased individuals, violent injuries, and human remains gathered in the course of active investigations. Content is presented for accountability and documentation purposes only.

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The Siege of Goma: M23 Encirclement, Road Closures, and Displacement Camp Growth

From late 2023, M23 fighters progressively encircled Goma, the capital of North Kivu and home to roughly two million people, by seizing territory and cutting the two main roads leading out of the city. Renewed fighting on the Sake–Masisi axis in January 2024, and the M23's seizure of the Shasha road below Muremure hill on 27 January 2024, cut the Goma–Bukavu road and left Kinshasa-aligned authorities reliant on air or water routes to reach the city. The resulting insecurity drove a rapid expansion of internally displaced persons (IDP) camps on Goma's outskirts, visible in satellite imagery from November 2023 onward, as residents of Masisi and Rutshuru territories fled fighting toward the perceived safety of the provincial capital.