The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is once again facing an inter-ethnic conflict between the Teke and Yaka communities, in the provinces of Kwango and Mai-Ndombe (Kwamouth), which has left more than 11 people dead.
The government accuses politicians and notables of fueling this conflict to weaken state institutions and sabotage state authority. The thesis of political manipulation is put forward to explain this violence.
The Catholic Church has also denounced the instrumentalization of this conflict by people who defend hidden interests, both political and economic. According to Catholic prelates, “bloody invisible hands” from Kinshasa are hiding behind all these conflicts.
The “Mobondo” phenomenon, hordes of young people, mostly armed with machetes, threatening the civilian population, burning down entire villages has spread to other regions, particularly in the commune of Maluku, Kwango as well as in the Congo Central.
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo recently maintained that there are no conflicts between Teke and Yaka in Kwamouth. According to him, false Kiamvus, coming from Kinshasa, seek to put the Yaka on the land of the Teke for political interests, which is unacceptable.
The DRC, already weakened by political, economic, security and health crises, must face this new interethnic conflict. The authorities and political actors must act responsibly to find a peaceful and lasting solution to this crisis, which could have dramatic consequences for the population.