Uvira, 1st July 2015 – The Camp Jina, headquarters of the Pakistani contingent of MONUSCO-Uvira (PakBatt) held a big celebration on Tuesday 30 June 2015 on the occasion of the DRC’s Independence day, in spite of the Ramadan; several hundred people were invited to fraternize and celebrate the peace: Congolese police staff members, several young people and students in Uvira as well as civilian colleagues of MONUSCO-Uvira.

The celebration program included poems, plays and lots of traditional dances from the Babembe, Bavira, Barundi, Bashi or… Rega.

The purpose of the ”ecumenical celebrations” was also to show some of the core values of the United Nations, namely respect for diversity, multiculturalism, fraternity among the different people, races and cultures. Armand Forster, representing the head of MONUSCO-Uvira sub-office expressed the hope to see the observed Unity among the different communities in Uvira (Babembe, Bavira, Barundi…) last well beyond the 30 June celebrations. He urged the local populations to mobilize for the same ideal: peace, which will bring development to this part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The celebrations started with a march for unity and solidarity bringing together civilians and military personnel of the United Nations- and the local population.

Jean-Tobie Okala