The article responds to a need for information on the situation of displaced people from Kwamouth, who are currently in difficult conditions in Bagata, in the province of Kwilu. The number of displaced people has increased considerably in recent weeks, from 5,120 to 10,688. Among them, there are nearly 5,000 children, 3,300 women (including 36 pregnant), 2,500 men and 6 unaccompanied children.
These displaced people fled the incursions of Mobondo militiamen into their villages, such as Mbusie, Fadiaka, Menkwo, etc. Faced with an emergency situation, they found refuge in schools, churches and unfinished houses in Bagata. Unfortunately, living conditions in these places are very precarious and the displaced do not benefit from any assistance to improve their situation.
Faced with this critical situation, the provincial ministry of humanitarian affairs is launching an appeal for help. It calls on the authorities and humanitarian partners to intervene urgently to provide assistance to the displaced people of Kwamouth. These men, women and children suffer and live in inhumane conditions, having abandoned everything to escape the violence plaguing their region.
It is important to emphasize that this upsurge in insecurity in Kwamouth began since the last week of 2023. Clashes between the army and the Mobondo militia intensified on RN 17, and the displaced became the victims of this spiral of violence. Despite the neutralization of around ten militiamen by the army, the situation remains precarious.
In conclusion, it is essential to highlight the plight of the displaced people from Kwamouth to Bagata. Their number continues to increase, while their living conditions deteriorate every day. It is imperative that the authorities and humanitarian actors take emergency measures to help them and offer them material and moral support. The attention of the international community is also necessary so that this humanitarian crisis is not forgotten.