The situation in the village of Kisankala in the province of Lualaba in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to deteriorate. Violent demonstrations took place and civilians were victims of firing from weapons of war. The tension rose when armed men chased artisanal diggers from the mining sites they used to frequent, in order to allow Lebanese industrial operators to set up their businesses.
Although representatives of the company Swanmines, holder of the titles, explained that the illegal operators have monopolized the sites by violence and threat, with the complicity of the military, the victims expect an intervention from the supreme authority and justice.
Complaints have reportedly been made to provincial and national authorities but unfortunately no concrete action has been taken. According to sources, operations are organized by people pretending to be members of the presidential family, allowing them to benefit from total impunity.
The situation in the region is extremely worrying and requires urgent intervention by the competent authorities.