Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Kinshasa, presided over a solemn Mass in the diocese of Popokabaka, during a pastoral visit he is making there. In his homily, the Archbishop addresses the socio-economic situation of the country and launches pikes at the place of the regime: “The country is in bad shape. Here, there are no roads,” he complains. The diocese of Popokabaka is located in the province of Kwango, a region of the country where road infrastructure is almost non-existent. This intervention by the Archbishop is in line with several other criticisms of the management of the national crisis and the governance of the Head of State, members of the opposition.
This pastoral visit was also the occasion for the inauguration, by Cardinal Ambongo, of the Nganga bridge, built by the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) in collaboration with the Congolese government. This inauguration thus demonstrates the entrepreneurial initiatives aimed at modernizing the country in a difficult socio-economic and political context.
The crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo is growing every day due to humanitarian crises, kidnappings, floods, modernization and other issues. There are, however, entrepreneurial modernization initiatives targeting critical sectors such as ports, where DP World started rockfill works at the Banana site in December 2022.
President Felix Tshisekedi during a visit to Botswana also touted investment opportunities in the DRC, drawing inspiration from that country’s economic model. The President of the Republic was indeed warmly welcomed by his Botswanan counterpart Mokgweetsi Masisi, and was received by the country’s entrepreneurs.
The DRC has also repaid a large debt to the various provinces of the country which amounts to more than 3.726 million USD. This reimbursement underlines the government’s commitment to sound management of public resources and the equitable distribution of funds.
Despite the various challenges facing the country, some initiatives have been launched to provide sexual health care and reproductive rights for displaced women from Bulengo. IPAS recently closed this campaign to provide care for women in the region.
The political crisis in the country also continues. The Chief of Police of Kinshasa strongly opposes the holding of an opposition meeting. This situation endangers the freedom to demonstrate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In addition, a book entitled “Rwanda, assassin sans frontières” was published, revealing the harsh reality of Paul Kagame’s regime.
In short, the Democratic Republic of Congo is facing several challenges during this period. Socio-economic and political issues including the humanitarian crisis, modernization and governance are both subjects of debate and criticism. However, initiatives are underway to improve the situation of the country and its people.