On the night of Thursday to Friday June 2, 2023, the village of Kanyamutsitsa, in the territory of Beni in North Kivu, was the scene of a new attack attributed to terrorists from the Democratic and Allied Forces (ADF). This attack caused the death of at least nine civilians, caused disappearances and significant material damage.
Civil society, like local authorities, strongly condemned this new barbaric attack perpetrated by the ADF. Roger Wangeve, president of civil society in the region, called on the army to step up patrols in order to put an end to this indiscriminate violence. He also revealed that the attackers looted the property of the civilian population before carrying out the kidnappings and killings.
Unfortunately, this attack is not the first of its kind and is likely to happen again in the future. The ADF would indeed be looking for revenge following the losses inflicted during the destruction of one of their camps. This situation raises a major issue regarding the physical security of civilian populations in this region.
At the same time, the DRC must also face other challenges such as disputed elections, arbitrary arrests, as well as violence linked to armed groups. However, a glimmer of hope appears in certain economic development projects such as the rehabilitation of the Kinshasa-Matadi railway, which could stimulate the country’s economic growth.
It is high time that the Congolese authorities take the necessary measures to protect their citizens and guarantee their security. We cannot remain silent in the face of these acts of violence and terrorism which have already caused too much loss of life in the region.