The authorities of Beni, in the province of North Kivu, presented to the press this Friday, May 12, a group of 22 suspected bandits arrested by the security forces during several anti-crime operations in the city. According to Nasson Murara, communicator for the Congolese National Police, three women are among the suspects. It should also be noted that two of the defendants were apprehended in Butembo, a town neighboring Beni.
During this public presentation, the police appealed to the population for better collaboration with the security forces in order to reduce the rate of insecurity which continues to increase in the region.
Despite the state of siege in force in the region, crime remains a real scourge for the inhabitants of Beni.
North Kivu is one of the most destabilized provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, plagued for several years by recurrent violence, both from local armed groups and rebel groups from elsewhere.
The population of the region, already tested by the fighting, is bearing the brunt of this scourge which plunges the region into a context of generalized mistrust and security psychosis, despite the efforts made by the local authorities to combat this worrying situation.