The province of Kwango, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is currently in the grip of a major humanitarian crisis, the consequence of the deadly attack perpetrated on May 12 by Mobondo militiamen in the village of Batshongo. A total of 20,038 people were displaced and eleven people, including seven soldiers, four policemen and two civilians, lost their lives in the fighting.
A rapid assessment mission of the situation carried out by the civil society organizations of Kwango and the NGO For community engagement against HIV/AIDS and child abuse, in the villages of Misele, Katoy, Tshipaka , Kenge, Pont Wamba, Lonzo mission, Bukangalonzo, Pont Kwango, Kabuba, Batshongo, Mutombo, Tsakala Mbewu, Kasinzi, Boko and Dinga, revealed that women and children were the most affected. 7,067 children, 7,057 women and 5,914 men were counted. The organizations also reported 11 cases of sexual violence against minors and the presence of 62 unaccompanied children among the displaced.
Faced with this tragic situation, civil society organizations have called for the urgent involvement of the Head of State to convene a peace conference in order to resolve this conflict and for the establishment of a credible commission to find a solution to this crisis in the provinces of Kinshasa, Kwango, Kwilu and Mai-Ndombe.
This humanitarian crisis in Kwango illustrates the complexity of the challenges facing the Congo in terms of security, protection of human rights and economic development. The new generations of Congolese political actors must therefore work effectively to put an end to the violent conflicts that undermine the country.