Category: Challenges

The Tata Raphaël stadium, one of the sites that will host the Games of La Francophonie in Kinshasa, is currently undergoing a complete renovation cure, led by the Alliance des Bâtisseurs Congolais (ABC), a consortium of Congolese companies. The construction and rehabilitation work is progressing at high speed, according to ABC officials, and will provide Kinshasa with new modern and efficient infrastructure for the event. The DRC is actively preparing for the organization of these games which will be decisive for the future of this changing country.

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has appointed several people to key positions within the National Housing Fund (FONHAB). This included the appointment of Ms. Pascaline Zamuda, a social entrepreneur and gender consultant as Deputy Director General of FONHAB. FONHAB was created in 2018 to promote the construction of social housing in the DRC. The nominations are a positive sign that the government is putting in place initiatives for the development of social housing in the country.

The Democratic Republic of Congo and China have decided to support each other in international affairs and to defend the international order based on law and the norms governing relations between States. China expressed its support for the DRC in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and development interests. The DRC reiterates its firm attachment to the principle of one China, believes that Taiwan is an integral part of China. Lasting peace in the DRC is on the agenda, with the actions carried out by the various actors concerned to restore the country’s security and territorial integrity.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has experienced a low level of public investment for years. In order to strengthen public expenditure and priority development sectors, the government adopted the draft decree on the management of public investments. This project notably provides for the establishment of a Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Monitoring-Evaluation system to make public investments more visible and traceable. The draft decree will also automate the evaluation and control of investment projects. This measure follows the recommendations made by the International Monetary Fund in 2022 to strengthen the effectiveness of public spending.

This article tells the tragic news of the attack that claimed the lives of two eco-guards in the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The eco-guards were attacked by armed men belonging to the Mai-Mai Kabido group, and this comes just days after a similar attack which also claimed lives. The article highlights the need to better address security issues in eastern DRC and that eco-guards risk their lives every day to preserve nature. ICCN calls for stronger action from the political and military authorities to put an end to this violence.

The European film festival took place in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the public could see “La vie est belle”, a film by Mweze Ngagura which is considered as one of the best films of the DRC. The director was present during the screening and expressed his emotion at this restored feature film. The festival, which screened more than 30 films, is a unique cultural moment that allows passionate audiences to discover and share European and Congolese films.

The Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo praised the work of the Independent National Electoral Commission for the elections scheduled for 2023-2024. He also encouraged the government to table the draft law on the distribution of seats by electoral constituency in parliament. Security in the east of the country remains a major concern for the government, with a mission led by the Prime Minister to Goma to assess the situation. Finally, the fight against the measles epidemic and the growing pressure from the international community to put an end to tyranny are also at the center of the news in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde visited Kalehe territory to solve the flooding problems. Before that, he assessed the security and humanitarian situation in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, during his stopover in Goma. Lieutenant-General Constant Ndima Kongba and the security services of the province have reported a very worrying security situation due to the war of aggression and war-displaced persons, while in Ituri the humanitarian situation is very worrying. The Prime Minister promised to find concrete solutions to remedy these situations.

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has adopted a draft law on the distribution of electoral seats which will soon be sent to parliament for adoption. Legislative, provincial, municipal and local elections will be held with a specific number of seats per constituency. The results of the revision of the electoral register have been taken into account, however the territories affected by insecurity have not been included in this preliminary draft. The National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) welcomed this new measure, stating that this adoption is an important step for the DRC.