**Hot Issues in the Senate: Call for Solidarity with Victims of Demolitions in Mbuji Mayi**
During the recent plenary session of the fourth legislature, a most worrying case was brought to the attention of the Senate by the Honorable Alphonse Ngoyi Kasanji, Vice-President of the PAJDH Committee. This is the demolition of 768 plots of land in Mbuji Mayi, an operation that has profoundly disrupted the lives of many families, forced to spend nights under the stars.
This alarming situation immediately prompted a reaction from the Sama office, which announced a follow-up mission to the government to ensure compliance with legal provisions during the course of this operation. Sama Lukonde stressed the importance of taking all necessary measures to ensure the dignity and rights of people impacted by this project.
During his speech, Alphonse Ngoyi Kasanji highlighted the non-compliance with the compensation procedures provided for by law for the victims of the demolition. These families, legitimate owners of their plots, now find themselves relegated to precarious conditions, far from any basic comfort. The senator’s call for urgent intervention by the Senate to provide adequate support to these destitute populations resonates as a humanitarian emergency.
It is crucial to emphasize that these dramatic events are taking place in a context where dialogue between the authorities and the residents concerned seems broken down. Tensions surrounding the expropriation of land for modernization projects raise crucial questions about the rights of citizens to fair compensation and decent rehousing conditions.
Faced with these major social issues, the Chamber of Elders is mobilizing to ensure that legality is respected and that concrete solutions are quickly put in place to ensure the protection of the fundamental rights of the affected populations. The Senate, as the representative of the people’s interests, must take bold and humanitarian measures to address the pressing needs of the victims of these abusive demolitions.
It is now up to the competent authorities to demonstrate responsibility and compassion towards these citizens who are now deprived of their homes and living environments. The time has come for action and solidarity with the most vulnerable, in order to restore dignity and hope within these communities wounded by blatant injustice.