He advanced quickly in night stages and reached the shore of Lake Kivu near Goma.

The villages of Burungu, Kirolirwe and Kitshanga suffered damage from clouds of volcanic ash that included burnt out market gardens, banana plantations and pastures, destruction of many types of trees, pollution of water sources, respiratory problems, flu, headaches, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis and miscarriages.

[2][a] In November 2010 officers under the command of Lt. Col. Zimurinda visited schools in the Kitchanga area listing male students aged 15 to 20.

In the weeks that followed soldiers loyal to Zimurinda's superior General Bosco Ntaganda began taking the youth away as they walked to or from school.

[8] In May 2012 fighting erupted between government troops and "mutineers", and thousands of refugees began fleeing to Rwanda.