In a period already marked by end-of-year festivities, the situation in the Mambasa territory in Ituri is taking an alarming turn with an escalation of cases of crime and serious human rights violations. According to local civil society actors, there is a worrying average of four cases of violations per day in this region.
The most recent and particularly shocking story is that of a pregnant woman, a chikwangue seller, who was coldly shot dead by a FARDC soldier. The motive for this murder is of unheard-of violence: she was allegedly killed because she had no money to pay at a roadblock manned by these soldiers. An act as cruel as it was gratuitous, which underlines the indignation in the face of such abuses of power and the impunity that results from it.
Another revolting case concerns a police officer accused of kidnapping two children in Nia-nia. The condition for their release was the payment of an exorbitant ransom of two thousand dollars. These heinous crimes not only endanger the lives and safety of residents, but also seriously undermine confidence in the law enforcement agencies that are supposed to protect the population.
Civil society actors, led by Marie Noelle Anatone, are urgently appealing to the relevant authorities to put an end to this spiral of violence. It is essential that those responsible for these despicable acts be identified, brought to justice and sentenced in an exemplary manner. Impunity cannot be tolerated in a society that claims to respect the fundamental rights of everyone.
These tragic events that recently occurred in Mambasa-Centre, where two people were killed by armed bandits, only reinforce the need for rapid and effective action to restore peace and dignity to the inhabitants of the Ituri region. It is imperative that the authorities take concrete measures to ensure the safety and protection of vulnerable populations, and put an end to this unbearable violence which is plaguing the daily lives of the inhabitants of Mambasa.