Demonstrations against the governor of Haut-Uélé continue to make headlines. After the publication of the report of the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF) questioning the financial management of the province, the population expressed its dissatisfaction and demanded concrete action.
The IGF report points to questionable practices on the part of the governor, in particular the advance collection of tax revenues from Kibali Gold, for a total amount of 2.75 million dollars. These funds were used without supporting documents traced to the accounts of the province. This revelation aroused the indignation of the population, which demanded the reimbursement of this money and the departure of the governor.
Since Wednesday, ville-morte days have been observed throughout Watsa territory and in the Durba mining area. Socio-economic activities are paralyzed, with many shops closed and transport services disrupted. The synergy of civil societies in the territory of Watsa calls on the population to maintain this peaceful attitude until the opening of activities and to continue to demand transparency in the management of the financial resources of the province.
Faced with this popular mobilization, Governor Beseane Nangaa finds himself in a delicate position. The peaceful demonstrations show the maturity of the population who want to see public money used responsibly and for the development of the province.
In parallel with these demonstrations, several other grievances weigh on the governor of Haut-Uélé. The IGF report highlights other irregularities such as the prohibited use of bank loans, the alleged embezzlement of Central Government retrocession funds, the non-payment of agents and executives of the province, and irregularities in the award of public contracts. All these elements add to the anger of the population and reinforce the request for the departure of the governor.
These protest movements once again underline the importance of transparency and accountability in the management of public resources. Citizens are increasingly aware of the impact of mismanagement on their daily lives and no longer hesitate to mobilize to demand accountability from their leaders.
It is essential that the authorities react appropriately to these legitimate demands of the population. By taking steps to investigate allegations of mismanagement and addressing protesters’ demands, leaders can restore trust and demonstrate their commitment to transparency and accountability. Only then can they hope to regain the trust of the people and work together for a better future