North Kivu, a province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, experienced a day of ghost town on May 15. Civil society has called for inaction in socio-economic activities to protest the surge in criminal activities in Beni. The city of Beni is under a state of siege, an exceptional measure introduced by the Head of State to restore the authority of the State.
Unfortunately, some young people claiming to be civic and pressure groups have sought to disturb the tranquility of the town. They barricaded the main avenues and set fires in some places. The police had to use force to disperse them.
However, this situation has led to some slippages, such as attacks on passers-by and the destruction of public or private property. The authorities called on citizens to calm down and denounced these unacceptable behaviors. Arrests were made by law enforcement.
In short, this dead city day organized by civil society in Beni is, unfortunately, parasitized by the violence of some young demonstrators. The government must redouble its efforts to restore security and peace in this province long disrupted by armed groups