Ituri: 2 years after the state of siege, the province is reconciled with security
May 6, 2023 marked the celebration of two years of military administration at the head of Ituri province. This decision by Kinshasa was taken after the declaration of a state of siege in the province, on May 06, 2021, to fight against local and foreign armed groups which were at the origin of repeated atrocities and massacres in the region.
The assessment given by the army, sent to POLITICO.CD, is positive: the town of Bunia and its surroundings have regained security and stability. To achieve this, the defense and security services carried out mixed, pedestrian, motorized, day and night patrols, with 712 patrols carried out. The results are encouraging: more than 500 bandits and other categories of thugs have been arrested, more than 100 weapons have been recovered and many of the population’s goods have been returned to their owners.
According to Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, spokesperson for the army in Ituri, these efforts have enabled the town of Bunia to regain its former dignity under the state of siege. Now, the province is coming to terms with security after several years of violence, particularly on the main arteries and large towns in the territories of Irumu, Djugu and Mambasa. The strategy adopted is both a military and non-military approach, which has proven its worth.
Thanks to this favorable outlook, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo is continuing its fight against insecurity in the province of Ituri. These two years of experience have shown the effectiveness of joint patrols and the importance of local work for the safety of the population. The recent advances in the province are to be welcomed, but much remains to be done to stabilize the situation, which requires close collaboration between the various actors on the ground as well as international aid and solidarity.
In short, the province of Ituri seems to have regained control of the situation after many years of insecurity. The next few years will be crucial to maintaining stability in the region, and we can hope that the results of the government’s efforts will consolidate this victory.