Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - "In the territory of Beni, in North Kivu (eastern Democratic Republic of Congo) people continue to be victims of massacres and thefts" says a note sent to Agenzia Fides by the Peace Network for Congo. From 8 to 13 May, in just 5 days, as many as 35 people were murdered. Generally, the victims are killed in the late afternoon, when they return from work in the fields, or during the night. The attacks have intensified in recent weeks, and are attributed to an armed group originally from Uganda, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
Often, however, these massacres take place in areas "controlled" by the national army, and near military bases. An ADF rebel who was arrested revealed the existence of a network of support to the ADF led by a senior officer of the FARDC (Congolese armed forces). The last massacre, in Mapiki and Sabu, on May 13, was carried out less than 24 hours after the visit of the Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, Evariste Boshab, in Beni, on a mission to assess the situation of insecurity in the region (see Fides 18/05/2015).
Following these findings, the local population feels abandoned by the central State, casts doubt on the effectiveness of the army that proves to be incapable of ensuring its security and suspect some military leaders of complicity with the ADF.
This is why the population asks the replacement of the military command of the Sokola 1 operation conducted against the ADF; the intensification of military operations against the ADF; strengthening of the police presence in the area; the strengthening of intelligence services; the opening of inquiries into possible complicity with the military and ADF civilian; the resumption of military cooperation with the forces of MONUSCO (the UN Mission in the DRC). (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 22/05/2015)
