The issue of armed conflicts in the province of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was raised by Emmanuel Apuobo Leku, elected national deputy for the Mambasa constituency, during an interview with POLITICO.CD. According to him, the causes of the conflict, which were those of the land between 2003 and 2005, have changed since 2017 with the emergence of a hatred that takes on a socio-economic connotation.
The deputy expressed his concern about the lack of concrete action by the Ituri authorities, and particularly the military governor of Ituri province, Lieutenant-General Johnny Luboya Nkashama, to put an end to the crisis in this region. He also doubted the effectiveness of the dialogue between the armed groups active in Ituri, initiated by the military governor.
Emmanuel Apuobo Leku also called for the lifting of the state of siege imposed in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu since May 2021, as it has not produced the expected results and led to a sharp increase in the number deaths in the region.
As a reminder, these armed conflicts have caused several deaths and displaced persons in the DRC. Efforts are put in place to pacify the region through the establishment of special economic zones and the trial of soldiers accused of violence. Political and social concerns are also shaking the country, including the transporters’ strike, the assassination of a finalist student and the arrest of Salmon Idi Kalonda Della, right-hand man of Moïse Katumbi.