South Kivu in the DRC suffered terrible floods which caused rivers to overflow leading to landslides which engulfed the villages of Bushushu and Nyamukubi. With a provisional toll of 400 dead, several injured and significant material damage, the scale of this natural disaster has aroused indignation and calls for action from the country’s personalities.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate and notable from South Kivu, Dr. Denis Mukwege, has called on local civil society to demand a dignified burial for those who died in Kalehe. He pleaded for the exhumation of the bodies already buried, their identification by DNA so that they are buried individually and not in a mass grave. In the same vein, Senator Francine Muyumba strongly opposed the burial of the victims in a mass grave. She demanded a dignified funeral and burial.
Faced with the urgency of the situation in South Kivu, public preventive action is essential. Local authorities are working with the population to improve road accessibility and sustainable development, as was recently initiated in Bagira. This is an example of citizen mobilization for sustainable development actions, with a view to preventing and managing the risks of natural disasters in this region.
The Red Cross in the province of North Kivu has mobilized nearly 18,000 volunteer first aiders to respond to complex humanitarian situations. The Red Cross in the DRC also calls for joint action to respond to humanitarian crises and improve the daily lives of local populations.
In another register, the Lubumbashi football club, HC Lupopo, had a landslide victory against HC Imara Patro during the 2022-2023 football season. In Ituri, self-taught candidates participate in the ENFEP in order to enhance their professional skills.
Finally, on a more political aspect, the SADC is sending forces to restore peace in eastern DRC. Rubens Mikendo, economic adviser to the President of the DRC, has announced a revolutionary electrification project for the territory of Walikale.
The DRC, plagued by several challenges, will have to act quickly to meet the needs of its populations in a difficult international context.