In the heart of Kwamouth province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the situation is still critical on the Kwamouth-Masiambio road axis. The Mobondo militiamen, who have been active there since June 2022, take advantage of the absence of state authorities to establish their own regime and collect taxes from the inhabitants of the region. Civil society is sounding the alarm and calling for the deployment of the FARDC to restore order on this stretch of road that is supposed to be secure.
According to the president of civil society in the region, Martin Suta, the presence of Congolese soldiers on the river axis has restored peace along the Congo River, but the road section from Kwamouth to Masiambio still needs to be secured. The Mobondo militiamen multiply the exactions and do not hesitate to install customary chiefs to better control the region. Recently, a Yaka chief was installed in the village of Liduma, and the inhabitants are calling on the authorities to put an end to this precarious situation.
Since the restoration of peace on the river axis, traffic has resumed, with regular attendance observed. Civil society is therefore asking the government to place soldiers in several villages to restore state authority and stop abuses by Mobondo militiamen. Last week, the FARDC arrested 109 of these militiamen in Kwamouth before transferring them to Bandundu central prison.
Peace remains fragile in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as evidenced by the persistence of the security crisis in the province of Kongo Central or the recent illegal occupation of the residence of Moïse Katumbi. The challenges are many and the authorities will have to redouble their efforts to bring stability and security to the country, by fully involving civil society and demonstrating transparency and accountability.