Title: Demonstration of victims of Coopec Imara of Bukavu for the reimbursement of their funds
Introduction
The defunct Coopec Imara in Bukavu was the subject of a demonstration yesterday, while victims demanded reimbursement of 12,500,000 USD. Organized in front of the branch of the Central Bank of Congo (BCC) in Bukavu, this demonstration highlights the difficulties encountered by people who lost their investments in this cooperative dissolved 10 years ago. In this article, we will take a closer look at the protesters’ demands and the actions taken by the BCC to resolve this situation.
The context
The Coopec Imara cooperative in Bukavu experienced a dramatic fall 10 years ago, leading to the dissolution of the organization. Since then, many investors have lost their funds without being able to recover them. Faced with this situation, the victims decided to demonstrate in front of the BCC, considered the guarantor of public savings in the DRC. They accuse the BCC of having turned a blind eye to the problems encountered by the cooperative and demand reimbursement of their funds.
The demands of the demonstrators
The protesters, supported by the Consumers’ League of South Kivu (LICOSKI), expressed their frustration at the lack of solution to their problem. They believe that the BCC should have intervened at the first signs of the cooperative’s collapse and thus prevented members from depositing money. According to them, the BCC was aware of the situation but continued to operate as if nothing had happened. They therefore demand that the BCC take its responsibilities and reimburse the lost funds.
The position of the BCC
The provincial director of the BCC in South Kivu, Ilunga Kahimba, responded to the demonstrators by promising to transmit their demands to his hierarchy. However, he clarified that the BCC was not responsible for the theft of funds and asked the demonstrators to respect each other during exchanges. Ilunga Kahimba pledged to do everything possible to find a satisfactory solution to this situation.
Next actions
The protesters said they would continue to demonstrate once a week until the BCC provides a concrete solution to their demand for reimbursement. They hope the pressure from their protests will push the BCC to act quickly. In the meantime, they remain determined to assert their rights and obtain justice for the lost funds.
Conclusion
The demonstration by victims of Coopec Imara in Bukavu for the reimbursement of their funds highlights the difficulties faced by many investors in the DRC. This situation highlights the importance of the supervisory and regulatory role of financial institutions to protect savers.. The protesters’ demands will be forwarded to the BCC, which will have to find a fair solution to reimburse the lost funds. In the meantime, victims remain mobilized and determined to obtain justice.