Uvira, 9 December 2016 – Within the framework of its mandate with civilian’s protection as top priority, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Congo through MONUSCO-Uvira facilitated the holding of a security meeting on Thursday, 8 December 2016 in Uvira. Initiated by the civil Affairs Section, the meeting brought together 35 participants, including the Uvira Territorial Administrator, the territorial Security Council, the district leaders as well as representatives of the social and cultural Associations and religious leaders. The purpose of the meeting was to think ahead and put in place mechanisms to help curb the criminality usually committed in the period preceding the end of the year and build the capacity of territorial Authorities to respond to social unrest in anticipation for the most feared date of the 19 December which marks the end of the second term of President Kabila.

During the meeting, participants identified the root causes of insecurity in the Territory of Uvira, namely: re-emergence and persistence of armed groups, raids by Burundian rebels, hold-ups, poverty-related to youth unemployment… obsessive fear of social unrests fueled by some politicians around 19 December.

To reassure the population and calm things down, the territorial authorities made it clear: 19 December 2016 is not a special date, “nothing special will happen on that day, it is like any other date”... urging the populations to proceed with their business as usual on that date. The same message was delivered by the Wise of the Uvira Communities who appealed to the youth for peace. The leader of the Banyamulenge Inter-community Committee of the Wise, Phanuel Bizuru told the youth “You are our children; you must go to work, you must go to school, you must go about your business. Please set your eyes on the leadership in Kinshasa who are addressing the situation.”

However, the information collected from the security services in the Ruzizi plaine reports some general panic among the Burundian refugees around the date of 19 December. The sources reports Burundian refugees who registered last year and are with host families in Luvungi, Luberizi or Sange are returning to Cibitoke, Burundi in small groups, fleeing insecurity… This is proof that general panic has set in the minds of some people over the 19 December.

However, in respect of his mandate to facilitate the inclusive dialogue and within the framework of support to the security management, MONUSCO and participants to this meeting agreed on a number of actions to take with a view to calming things down. So, Civil Society Organizations have the responsibility to discourage any form of intoxication from some politicians around 19 December 2016, calling upon the full resources of our nation to prevent new armed groups from emerging. So, broadcast messages will be delivered throughout the Territory of Uvira in the coming days where a public meeting is scheduled shortly by leaders of associations to sensitize the population against joining armed groups.

Jean-Tobie Okala