The tragic event which took place on October 13, 2023 on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to arouse emotion and concern. A boat sinking caused the death of at least thirty people, while around a hundred others are still missing. The authorities are mobilized to find the survivors and recover the bodies of the victims.
According to initial information, the boat was carrying more than 400 people when it sank near Mbandaka, in the province of Équateur. Investigations are underway to determine the exact circumstances of the accident. It seems that the overloading of the boat and night navigation outside conventional hours were the main factors leading to this tragedy.
The owner of the boat is currently on the run and it is still impossible to find the ship’s manifest. The Congolese Minister of Transport has requested the establishment of a multi-party investigation in order to shed light on responsibilities. Members of the security services, the migration directorate and intelligence will thus be involved in this investigation.
This accident occurs at a time when the issue of river navigation safety was already on the agenda. President Félix Tshisekedi recently stressed the importance of waterways as an extension of roads to cover the national territory. He had urged the government to take all necessary measures to avoid such shipwrecks, often caused by overloading of boats, poor marking of waterways, nighttime navigation and non-compliance of boats. An action plan should therefore be developed soon to strengthen maritime security in the country.
This tragic event once again reminds us of the importance of guaranteeing the safety of river transport in the DRC. It is essential that concrete measures are taken to prevent such accidents and ensure the safety of passengers. The population expects effective actions to avoid new similar tragedies in the future.