In a recent press release, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) reported a major incident. On the night of Wednesday, November 29, a violent fire broke out at the warehouse of its Bolobo branch, located in the province of Maï-Ndombe. The damage is considerable, with the total destruction of numerous electoral equipment.
According to the CENI, more than 163 electronic voting devices (DEV) from the 2018 stock were reduced to ashes. In addition, 136 voting booths, 39 electoral register revision kits (RFE) for the years 2022-2023, 108 external DEV batteries from 2018, 165 internal DEV batteries from 2018, 5 awareness megaphones RFE 2022-2023, 122 ballot boxes used during 2018 polls, 17 “Itel A18” RFE 2022-2023 brand phones, as well as many other devices and documents were lost in the fire.
Although the causes of this fire are not yet clear, the CENI has asked the competent authorities to open an investigation to determine those responsible. If evidence of sabotage or criminal acts is discovered, the culprits must be held accountable according to applicable law.
This incident is a blow to the ongoing electoral process in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The destroyed equipment is essential for the holding of elections and its destruction could cause delays or disruptions to the process.
The CENI and the authorities concerned must now take the necessary measures to deal with this emergency situation. It is crucial to quickly restore the missing equipment in order to guarantee the transparency and credibility of the electoral process.
This incident also highlights the importance of strengthening security measures to protect electoral infrastructure and equipment. Additional measures must be taken to avoid such incidents in the future and ensure the security of CENI premises.
While awaiting the results of the investigation, it is important that the population remains vigilant and continues its commitment to a free and fair electoral process. Despite this obstacle, the Congolese people must remain determined to exercise their right to vote and to participate fully in building a democratic future for the country.
In conclusion, this fire at the CENI warehouse in Bolobo is a tragic event which endangers the smooth running of the electoral process in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is essential that authorities take the necessary steps to investigate this incident and quickly restore lost equipment. The transparency, credibility and security of the electoral process must be preserved in order to guarantee free and fair elections for the Congolese people.