AFRICA/DR CONGO - North Kivu: the conclusions of the meeting of the "wise men" to end the war in the Territory of Beni

Monday, 22 December 2014

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - The threat to the civilian population in the Territory of Beni, part of the province of North Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, is "hybrid". This was stated in the final document of the three-day meeting organized by the Coordination of the Local Civil Society (see Fides 17/12/2014).
The document, sent to Agenzia Fides, says that the recent massacres of civilians is the work carried out by the ADF-NALU, an armed group of Ugandan origin, "who have been in the province for two decades". The relationship, between the ADF-NALU and some local groups, is described as "a military and socio-economic order, through a network of information and mafia cross-border transaction".
"The armed group is helped by some politicians, mobsters and traditional authorities (village chiefs, ed.) and neighboring countries".
An analysis that confirms what has already been highlighted by Peace in Congo Network (see Fides 16/12/2014), which notes the presence, alongside the ADF-NALU, of other armed groups that spread death and destruction in the area. The document recommends greater cohesion among politicians and local military to "get out of the grip of terror".
A commission to monitor the commitments, recommendations and resolutions adopted during this meeting, and disseminate the results of the social dialogue at a local, national and international level is recommended. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 22/12/2014)


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