Wetin BBC see wen dem visit Goma, di DR Congo city wey dey under rebel control

Wen I first drive into DR Congo eastern city of Goma, e hard me to tell weda I don enter a conflict zone.

Goma residents full di streets a few miles from di border with Rwanda - commuters dey go work, hawkers dey sell goods by di roadside and taxi drivers dey hustle customers.

But e only take a few minutes to notice say a new "goment" dey town.

As I reach one checkpoint near a police post wey bin dey formerly run by di Congolese authorities, fighters wey carry gun from di M23 rebel group stop my car.

Last week, M23 bin capture Goma, eastern city of nearly two million pipo, after dem advance on DR Congo eastern region.

At least 700 pipo for di city dey killed and close to 3,000 injured as di rebels clash with DR Congo army and dia allies, according to di UN and di Congolese goment.

M23, wey dey made up of ethnic Tutsis, say dem dey fight for minority rights, while DR Congo goment say di Rwanda-backed rebels dey seek control of di eastern region vast mineral wealth.

For di checkpoint, M23 rebels look inside my car, ask my driver a few brief questions, den allow us to pass into di devastated city.

Di rebels no face opposition - e be like say dem always dey dia.

I make my way to one of di few hospitals wey dey treat wounded victims and as I enter, cries of pain dey echo through di corridors.

I meet Nathaniel Cirho, one medical doctor wey, in a strange role reversal, sidon for one hospital bed with a sling around im left arm.

Bomb bin land on di house next to am and Mr Cirho and as di house scatter, e scatter and hit neighbours.

"I sustain injury on my arm. One 65-year-old man get injury for im belle. After surgery, e no survive," e tok with regret.

Several wards away, one elderly woman lie down for anoda hospital bed, hooked up to oxygen tank.

She bin comot bullet from her own arm after heavy exchange of fire break out for her neighbourhood.

"Suddenly my hand feel cold, and I realise say dem don shoot me," she tok as she struggle to find her speech.

For days, she nurse di gunshot wound without help. She tell me say some M23 fighters eventually escort her to a public hospital.

Di woman ask make dem move her to a private hospital, wia she dey receive treatment, becos she bin no dey receive adequate attention from di overstretched doctors.

But even for dis second hospital, medics dey overwhelmed as an increasing number of patients dey come through di doors.

"We don treat most of dem becos we no get contingency plans," one doctor, wey no want call im name for security reasons tok.

E add say: "On Sunday wen di fighting start, we receive 315 patients and we treat dem."

But now, di hospital dey count over 700 patients with various degrees of injury, di doctor tell me.

E tok of receiving patients with "gunshot wounds to di head, odas on di chest, stomach, hands and legs".

As eastern DR Congo dey inside dia political palava, di UN Office of di High Commissioner for Human Rights don warn say rival parties dey use sexual violence as a weapon of war.

Di doctor for dis private hospital confam di UN statement, say im facility so far don receive about 10 victims of rape and gender-based violence.

Outside di hospital and into di city centre, di feelings dey mixed.

Pipo dey waka pass four vans wey bullet scatter, dem dey witness wetin happen wen dem dey take shelter for safety.

Although di gunfire and explosions for Goma don die down small, not all establishments dey back to business as normal. Some shops don open for some streets, but not for odas. Major banks also remain closed.

Perhaps some dey careful say anytin fit happen with di way di security situation for di wider North Kivu province dey.

"Pipo dey fear… I still dey fear becos those wey cause di tension still dey with us and we no know wetin dey go on," shop owner Sammy Matabishi tok.

"But di bad tin be say pipo no dey buy from us, many don go Rwanda, [di Congolese city of] Bukavu, Kenya and Uganda."

E add say traders wey import goods from neighbouring countries no fit transport products into city.

Many residents I tok to say dem don come to terms with M23 running di place.

And as an outsider I fit see say di rebels wan establish dia control.

Dem don take over di office of di North Kivu military governor, wey dem kill as dem advance into Goma.

Fighters bin also dey present for strategic areas around di city, while odas dey patrol di streets on pickup trucks, with weapons for dia hand.

During di whole time I dey Goma, I no see a single active Congolese soldier.

I however, see abandoned trucks with "FARDC", di French acronym for di DRC armed forces.

Near di base of di UN peacekeeping mission (Monusco) - wey get di task of protecting civilians from rebel forces - military uniforms, magazines and bullets just dey anyhow across di road.

"Wen M23 arrive here, dem surround our army," Richard Ali wey dey live nearby, tell me.

"Many remove dia military uniforms, troway dia weapons and wear civilian clothes. Odas run away."

As M23 dey rejoice over a major win, di Congolese goment continue to deny di rebels claim say dem don totally capture Goma.

Di authorities accuse M23 of illegally occupying dia land - with di support of Rwanda - and promise to recover any lost territory.

Although Rwanda bin dey consistently deny backing di rebels, dia response don shift to a more defensive one, wia goment tok-tok pipo say fighting near dia border na security threat.

Di rebels now dey reported to dey move south towards Bukavu, di capital of South Kivu, and dem vow to reach capital city Kinshasa.

For now, Goma remainsdia biggest coup. Conditions dia show wetin life fit become for many more Congolese pipo, if di M23 gain more ground.

Additional reporting from di BBC's Robert Kiptoo and Hassan Lali in Goma