The new National Coordination Committee for the Disarmament, Demobilization, Community Recovery and Stabilization Program (PDDRC-S) recently took office in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). During the handover and resumption ceremony with the outgoing committee, Jean Bosco Bahala, the national coordinator, pleaded for multilateral partners to release the promised funds to stabilize the eastern DRC. A call which was well received by Khassim Diagne, deputy special representative of the United Nations secretary general in charge of operations in the DRC, who promised close collaboration with the new committee.
In his speech, Jean Bosco Bahala also called on the media and civil society to support the PDDRC-S program in raising awareness to obtain the support and ownership of armed groups. He stressed that this program is a quick solution to regain peace in eastern DRC.
For Jean Bosco Bahala, it is essential to put an end to the recycling of people who go to war. He stressed that his team is aware of the urgency of the situation and is determined to achieve concrete results. He also called on technical and financial partners to provide the means necessary for the program to achieve the set objectives.
The appointment of Jean Bosco Bahala as national coordinator of the PDDRC-S is a sign of a renewal in the disarmament and stabilization strategy in the DRC. His team intends to work in close collaboration with the government, the United Nations and all bilateral and multilateral partners to put an end to the armed conflicts in the east of the country.
Disarmament, demobilization, community recovery and stabilization are major challenges in the DRC, but with robust national coordination and international support, it is possible to find lasting solutions to bring peace and stability to this region. The PDDRC-S program is therefore a hope for the East of the DRC and it is now up to all the actors involved to demonstrate commitment and determination to achieve this objective.
Thanks to everyone’s involvement, it is possible to imagine a future where the east of the DRC will finally be free of armed conflicts and where the population will be able to live in complete security and peace. The new PDDRC-S national coordinating committee is ready to take on this challenge and is counting on everyone’s support to achieve it.