People are leaving because there is a belief that there is a lot of violence. I hope it can be addressed but, of course, if there's peace and order, people will want to return. ‘The international community needs to step up and show there's more pressure on Congo's security forces to take on that responsibility. And they have the obligation, the duty, to provide a safe environment for all Congolese people. The more things like this happen, the more the rest of the world turns a blind eye to Congo.’ A video of the killing was filmed on mobile phones by traders along with local militia and seen by The Independent. It shows Ouabdoul and several others, allegedly traders and soldiers, forcing a group of Congolese to their knees, cutting off their clothes with machetes and cutting off Ouabdoul’s head. A young boy tries to rescue his uncle and is himself hacked in two. At least one man tries to drag his head away from the machete, but was then thrown to the ground and killed, too. A separate video shows local trader Ousmane Kone saying: ‘If it wasn't for this [group], my family would not have been safe.’ When asked whether the traders were armed, he replied: ‘They wanted to kill us, it was so they would rob and kill us.’ His story appears to contradict claims from some witnesses that the traders had set up a blockade on the bridge because of alleged abuses by Congolese forces. Dr Marie-Chantal Ntahikobo, who works in Goma, said the traders were also targeted because they were wealthy. ‘This group was targeted because they have money. It seems that somebody had seen them doing well and wanted to take it from them. They were targeted for their riches. Dr Marie-Chantal Ntahikobo ‘They’re not just fighting one another, they’re killing those who are helping them. They didn’t like them because they were rich.’ In another video filmed on a mobile phone, the traders were shown to be angry about what they said was the killing of women and children. Two of the traders called upon God to kill a Congolese man called Menguai. ‘God of the universe, our God, come and kill that dog,’ one said. The traders were seen pointing a machete at the man before killing him, saying: ‘We will chop off your head.’ One witness told The Independent: ‘The killing was carried out by traders and armed Congolese who stopped cars. They told their victims they wanted to make them buy some alcohol. People thought it was a joke.’ After the killing, traders continued to pass out alcohol to hundreds of Congolese until early evening on Saturday. One trader told The Independent that he had seen the traders murdering the Congolese and throwing them on the ground before the camera team arrived. He said that he would be able to identify the killers. He said: ‘I have seen everything, what they did to this man [Ouabdoul], I was one of those who did it.’ When asked if he believed the killing was justified, he replied: ‘For that, I can't answer that. I saw what happened. I wasn't afraid at the time because there were a lot of us.’ Other video footage shows hundreds of Congolese crossing the bridge in a rush to escape violence. A boy who witnesses said was part of the group later told The Independent: ‘I was in panic when I was at the bridge. People were screaming, running to get their things and clothes. ‘A man told us to cross quickly so we could not be seen by the traders. If we were caught by the traders, we were going to be killed. A lot of people were cut and killed, many by machetes.’ Militants: Bunia's dark side Militant attacks, banditry and the illegal exploitation of vast mineral resources have been endemic to eastern Congo since independence in 1960, creating a climate of fear. ‘It’s not so easy to say who is a militant. Some people you can see they are militants. Some others are just bandits and criminals,’ said Kadiangba Nyamwisi of the Catholic Church’s Justice and Peace Commission. ‘We need to know the truth. In reality, the Congolese Government is not strong enough to keep the peace. There’s a lack of authority and a lack of respect from those who are supposed to be fighting these problems.’ Violence and instability in Congo are an annual occurrence and one of the primary justifications for an international presence in Congo since 1998 has been to establish stability. This, say many Congolese who have lived through more than 20 years of conflict, does not exist. ‘In Congo, you have to have a group that says, ‘I am going to be the leader of all the problems,’ said Kadiangba. ‘The problem of militancy is a problem of management. There is a lack of respect. When you try to get something, you kill. So what kind of leader do you have? Without respect for the other people you don’t have a country. It will always be like this.’ ‘The main problem in Congo is militancy and banditry,’ he added. ‘Banditry is everywhere in Congo.’ A young man from the Kahuzi-Biega region told The Independent: ‘There are people who are trying to make money for themselves at the expense of the Congolese.’ ‘They come in an army jeep, kill people and take their things. Then they just go to have fun somewhere else.’ This was echoed by a second, who said: ‘Bandits come in their cars to kill people. They carry guns.’ At least 10 civilians were killed in a grenade attack on a Goma bar on Saturday night, while six people were injured in a shooting inside a hotel. It is not known if the attacks were carried out by militiamen. ‘There is always a group that tries to steal from the Congolese people. There is a lot of misery here,’ said Dr Ntahikobo. ‘What is the solution? People here are killing each other over these things and the result is people are staying in the forest instead of going to market. What we need to do is think of some way to stop these problems. There is only one answer and that’s development. In the long term, it won’t be like this.’ ‘I can’t live in this Congo anymore,’ said the taxi driver who asked not to be named. He was in Goma because he said his children live in the capital Kinshasa and he is in constant fear of being robbed or murdered. ‘I feel like I’m going to die. I don’t want to die, I am young and I want to live. I can’t live in Congo anymore, there’s nothing I can do for myself. In the morning I feel that I want to die. The money I make I spend on paying bribes to avoid the militia. It’s hard enough trying to get out of my taxi, but they never ask for money.’ Kizito Mugabe of Goma, who is originally from Gako-Manjara, said that he has seen militia members kill traders and sell their kidneys to pay for their weapons. ‘This is the way they are living,’ he said. ‘For us, we are used to it. It’s hard to leave.’ With the violence continuing to spread across the country, it is clear that despite the presence of the peacekeepers, little will change. ‘There is no protection,’ said a trader who survived the attack on Ouabdoul. ‘They only come to help when it’s too late.’ ‘At least when the United Nations are here, there’s the chance that there won’t be war, but it’s not enough. If there’s more international pressure and they have an ability to do something, they should do it. They could start to make arrests. We need peace, but this won’t be done overnight.’