Today’s blog post focuses on current events in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), more specifically on the security and humanitarian situation in the east of the country. Since the activism of armed groups, in particular the M23, resumed with renewed vigor, the situation has deteriorated, leading to a massive displacement of populations and inhuman living conditions.
To deal with this situation, the Kinshasa government has decided to implement a state of siege in 2021. Unfortunately, the fallout from this measure remains mixed according to local populations. Many citizen movements, such as Filimbi, denounce the precariousness faced by these populations and warn of a major food crisis in the region.
Indeed, Filimbi is sounding the alarm by stressing that the DRC is currently experiencing the greatest food crisis in the world, with 25.8 million people in food insecurity, including 6.7 million in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu. This civil society movement also recalls that the state of siege is unable to contain the growing activism of armed groups, in particular the M23 supported by the Rwandan Armed Forces.
Filimbi points to the contradictions between the political vision of the regime, which claims to put the people first, and the reality experienced by the people. He also denounces the disproportionate enrichment of political actors to the detriment of the people. According to him, it is time to impose proportionate sanctions on these actors during the assessment.
This situation once again highlights the challenges facing the DRC, both in terms of security and humanitarian issues. It is crucial that concrete actions be taken to help the populations affected by the food crisis and to restore security in the east of the country.
In conclusion, it is necessary to make heard the voice of citizen movements such as Filimbi, which denounce injustices and defend the rights of the people of the DRC. It is time that the interests of the Congolese people are really put at the forefront, to allow a real development and an improvement of the living conditions for all the citizens