The Lufungula camp, in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is in the grip of social discontent. The families of the police, threatened with being evicted, expressed their dissatisfaction by briefly blocking the avenue of the oil mills in the city. According to the occupants, the authorities plan to build a modern morgue in this space currently occupied by 40 households, due to lack of space within the camp. The police officers, supported by their families, refuse to leave the scene without sufficient compensation.
The families of the police complain that they do not have enough money to rent a house, despite the sum of 500 USD offered to each of them. Testimonies collected from the occupants of the land indicate that some families accepted the proposal, but that others, such as those of the police officers, declined the offer because of the insufficient amount. Protesters are now demanding $3,000 per family to leave.
This social tension indeed raises questions about the right to housing and the reality of urbanization in the DRC. On the merits, the families of the police officers are right to refuse too little compensation for their relocation. However, such a request also carries risks of corruption and threatens the image of the police. It is therefore important that the authorities can find a solution acceptable to all parties involved.
The question of housing is crucial in a country like the DRC where growing urbanization often takes place in an anarchic manner. The authorities should therefore think more about the social consequences of their development projects to avoid such conflicts. Moreover, this situation also shows the need to reform the police system in the DRC, in order to make this institution more trustworthy and better meet the legitimate needs of the population in a context of strong security pressures.
In short, the issue of housing and police security is a sensitive subject in the DRC. It is therefore important to take into account the concerns of the various actors concerned for an equitable management of land resources and increased security.