“The Urban Civil Society of Beni expresses its disappointment following the announcement of the cancellation of the elections of governors and senators in North Kivu by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). This decision aroused strong reactions within the population, who sees this as an attempt to perpetuate the state of siege in the region, despite its obvious limitations on the ground.
Pépin Kavota, president of the Urban Civil Society of Beni, considers that the partial cancellation of the elections is an incomplete measure and instead advocates a total cancellation of all elections in the province concerned. According to him, the provincial deputy candidates have already invested considerable time and resources in their electoral campaign, making this partial cancellation even more regrettable.
This decision by the CENI suggests that the state of siege is far from being lifted and recalls that during a round table last year, the majority of participants requested this lifting. For Pépin Kavota, the state of siege has not fulfilled its promises in terms of restoring peace in the region, since the areas which are recovered by the enemy are precisely under the special regime of the state of siege .
While the order establishing a state of siege was supposed to bring peace, the reality on the ground is very different. The population of Beni and neighboring provinces feels abandoned and fears an increase in violence in the region.
It is therefore essential that the CENI takes into account the concerns of the Urban Civil Society of Beni and takes concrete measures to guarantee fair and transparent elections throughout the province. The population of Beni deserves true political representation and the restoration of peace and security in the region.”