The province of South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo is grappling with dramatic consequences due to heavy rains, including floods and landslides which claimed more than 400 lives and caused serious material damage. The government, with the participation of the provincial authorities, provided emergency assistance to the victims. Natural disasters underline the importance of risk prevention and management. However, ongoing political tensions between the DRC and Rwanda intensify the challenges Congolese face.

The municipality of Bagira, in the province of South Kivu, is resolutely committed to actions in favor of development. To support their mayor Patience Bengehya Wa Ngwabo in this direction, the population of the locality decided to join the sanitation work organized every Saturday. Work has recently been launched to improve the section linking Place Chez Cibinda to the Nyakavogo site. This work, carried out with the support of the Sainte Famille Catholic parish in Bagira, aims to increase accessibility to the Sainte Famille school complex and the Nyakavogo site.

The Red Cross of the province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo celebrated the international day of this movement by identifying to date 18,000 volunteer first aiders to respond to the complex humanitarian situations in the region. The organization strives to respond to emergency situations by working with different international organizations. If you want to follow the news on the complex situations in the DRC, you can consult links of articles published on their blog, which include the volcanic activity, the DRC-Rwanda tensions, the participation of girls in the school essay, and floods in South Kivu.

The alert level of the Nyamulagira and Nyiragongo volcanoes, located near the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is maintained at yellow. Although the phenomenology of Nyamulagira crater lava lake activity is declining, the past week has seen a considerable uptick in the scope of this volcano. The earthquakes were concentrated along the large fracture connecting the two active volcanoes. Although there is no indication of an imminent eruption, authorities have been advised to remain alert and prepare contingency plans to ensure the safety of the population in the event of a possible outbreak. The region faces many other challenges, including accusations of invading Rwandan militias, deadly floods, communal tensions, the COVID-19 pandemic and other political and economic challenges.

Subcontracting performance contracts for the construction of warehouses, housing and the rehabilitation of roads have been signed between the NGO BMFR and companies and NGOs in the Kongo Central region. This major step marks the vision of the governor of the province to promote trade with Namibia. The forthcoming signature of a contract for commercial exchanges between the province of Kongo Central and Namibia will enable the region to exchange agricultural products for fresh and dried food. These economic advances offer a unique opportunity to the inhabitants of the region.

This article highlights the low participation of girls in school essay tests in the Kwilu 1 educational province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Cultural constraints in rural areas, such as early marriage and preference for sons in households, are involved. To fight against this phenomenon, the chief provincial inspector Jean-Pierre Kasonga recommends the involvement of all actors such as parents, political-administrative authorities, EPST executives and agents and the establishment of a massive awareness. In 2022, only 44.8% of female candidates participated in the essay tests compared to 55.1% of males. The 2023 statistics show a small increase of 6.4% in girls’ participation. It is urgent to put in place concrete actions such as improving infrastructure and setting up scholarships for girls in order to provide better access to education for women.

Torrential rains have caused flooding in the province of South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, leaving behind more than 400 dead, thousands of victims and numerous material damages. The government and civil society have different assessments as to the number of missing, but the rescue operations continue with teams of soldiers and first aiders arriving on the spot. This disaster highlights the region’s vulnerability to extreme weather events and the need to invest in risk prevention and management infrastructure.

A militia attack in the village of Yosso near Kinshasa left at least nine people dead. The perpetrators of the attack are believed to be members of the Mobondo community opposing the Yaka in a land dispute. This violence adds to an already deleterious climate in the DRC, where clashes between tribes, acts of armed groups and land disputes are common. Solutions must be found to pacify the country and bring justice to the victims and prevent such attacks from happening again.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been hit by severe flooding which has killed 401 people according to the local government and left hundreds missing. The international community has set up emergency teams to help the victims, while the search for the missing continues. These floods highlighted the need for a national land use plan to better manage flood risks in the country as well as the need to act on climate change.