Treatment of the shortage of magistrates in the territory of Lubero
The territory of Lubero, located in the province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is currently facing a major problem: the shortage of magistrates. This situation greatly disrupts the administration of justice in this vast and densely populated region.
According to prosecutor Franck Tshimanga, who is the only magistrate in office in the Lubero territory, the assignment of new magistrates and the training of judicial police officers (OPJ) could be effective solutions to remedy this problem. Indeed, the presence of additional magistrates would allow better territorial coverage and a quicker response to the population’s needs in matters of justice.
However, this lack of personnel is not the only difficulty encountered in the Lubero territory. The precarious security situation also constitutes an obstacle to the administration of justice. However, thanks to the efforts of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and the national police, the security situation is gradually improving.
To remedy this situation, prosecutor Tshimanga also proposes an approach focused on speed in the processing of legal files. It is crucial to guarantee reasonable deadlines for the investigation of cases, so as not to leave files pending for an excessive length of time. This approach aims to bring relief to the population of the Lubero territory, who expect fair and rapid justice.
It is important to emphasize that the problem of insufficient magistrates is not specific to the Lubero territory. Many jurisdictions in the provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo experience this deficiency. Socio-professional difficulties and precarious working conditions in the provinces push many magistrates to prefer to stay in Kinshasa, the capital.
Faced with this problem, the Minister of Justice, Rose Mutombo, announced in November 2022 the development of a new map of Congolese magistrates. This document should make it possible to better distribute magistrates throughout the territory, in order to remedy this insufficiency. However, the concrete results of this initiative are still awaited.
In conclusion, the shortage of magistrates in the Lubero territory poses serious problems in the administration of justice. Measures such as the assignment of new magistrates, the training of judicial police officers and the guarantee of speed in the processing of judicial files are necessary to remedy this situation. It is essential that the population of the Lubero territory can benefit from fair and effective justice.