The security situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo remains very worrying. According to the minutes of the 102nd meeting of the Council of Ministers held under the leadership of Head of State Félix Tshisekedi, the security situation remained volatile in the territories of Irumu, Mambassa, Beni, Masisi, Rutshuru and Nyirangongo. The ADF-MTM terrorists have multiplied the incursions with the aim of obtaining supplies of food and pharmaceutical products, while the M23-RDF terrorists are attacking the self-defense forces which they believe to be auxiliaries to the Armed Forces of the ground floor.
The regional EACRF force created in 2022 to stop the advance of the M23 armed group recovered some rebel strongholds in December, but the rebels are still present on the ground and coexist with the EAC force. The government recently issued an alert on the reinforcement of the positions of the M23 rebels supported by Rwanda for an offensive on the city of Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu.
Faced with the ineffectiveness of the EAC force, the DRC is awaiting the materialization of the decision taken on May 8 by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) approving the deployment of a regional intervention force. to restore peace and security in the east of the country.
The situation in eastern DRC is not new, terrorist acts, the CODECO tribal militia being the most deadly in the region, killings of civilians, attacks against security forces and refugees are recurrent and weaken state authority.
However, amid this chaos, great initiatives continue to emerge. IOB Sarl, a Congolese civil engineering company, has established itself as an essential reference in mining subcontracting in the DRC. Kibali Gold Mining, for its part, is an example of environmental preservation in the world of mining in the DRC.
In addition, Football, a true national sport, offers a ray of hope in a dark context marked by violence. FC Hopimasi beat AS Masisi 2-0 in the quarter-finals of Valentin Kaneno’s peace tournament. The Leopards of the DRC have also come closer to qualifying for CAN 2024 after their victory against the Gabonese.
However, the humanitarian situation remains very worrying for Central African refugees. The living conditions of refugees in the eastern DRC region are dire and require urgent attention and intervention.
Finally, it is important to highlight the death of Mbuyi Tshibuabua, a journalist committed to press freedom in the DRC. His disappearance is a loss for the promotion of democracy and freedom of expression in the country.
Summing up, the situation in the DRC remains tense, peace is fragile in the region, particularly in the east of the country.. However, promising initiatives continue to appear, such as IOB Sarl or Kibali Gold Mining. The national sport, especially football, also brings hope. Nevertheless, the humanitarian situation remains worrying, in particular for Central African refugees. State authority is continually challenged, and the loss of Mbuyi Tshibuabua is a reminder of the need to promote democracy and freedom of expression in the country.