In Butembo, a city located 54 km from Beni in North Kivu Province, MONUSCO, through its Civil Affairs Section, organized a two-day session from 15 to 16 May 2026 aimed at strengthening collaboration between civil society, local authorities, community leaders, youth, and women’s leadership.
Entitled “Session on reconnecting and strengthening collaboration between civil society in Butembo and authorities, community leaders, youth, women leaders and partners for the protection of civilians, social cohesion, peace promotion and peaceful coexistence”, this initiative marks the first of its kind since August 2022 in a city of nearly one million inhabitants.
A total of 89 participants, including 18 women, took part in the discussions, held in a context marked by tensions and misunderstandings that had fueled anti-MONUSCO sentiments and led to the Mission’s partial disengagement from the area.
Participants included local and provincial authorities, NGOs, civil society representatives, community and religious leaders, youth groups, private sector representatives (FEC), citizen movements, academia, and vulnerable groups.
Normalizing relations and rebuilding trust
The session pursued three main objectives: to revive dialogue among stakeholders, rebuild trust between MONUSCO, authorities and communities, and promote understanding of MONUSCO’s mandate as defined by UN Security Council Resolution 2808.
« We are entering a new dynamic: we must move forward. MONUSCO remains a partner of the Congolese State, and we, the Congolese people, need to benefit from the services provided by the State and its partners. This is why we believe the time has come to bury the hatchet, rebuild trust, look ahead, and address what has not worked… but also to move forward together for the sake of peace in our region. This is why we believe it is necessary to reduce this distance with MONUSCO and now engage in frank and constructive dialogue », said Yves-Célestin Kabambi Kananga, head of the coalition of pressure groups and citizen movements in Butembo.
MONUSCO emphasized that this initiative forms part of the implementation of its mandate, particularly in the context of ceasefire monitoring in Lubero areas, for which Butembo serves as a key access point.
A challenging security and social context
Butembo, considered the economic hub of North Kivu, is experiencing significant security challenges, including the proliferation of small arms, recurring violence, and a crisis of trust between communities and security forces.
These dynamics have a profound impact on daily life, with residents facing persistent insecurity and a growing sense of vulnerability. Restoring trust is therefore essential to support stabilization and development efforts.
Promoting peaceful coexistence
Discussions highlighted the importance of unity, dialogue and collective responsibility.
“The security context we are facing today more than ever requires unity, a strong sense of collective responsibility, and sustained dialogue among all segments of society. Persistent security threats, population displacement, hate speech, community manipulation, and violence in all its forms represent major obstacles to the stability and development of our province. Faced with this reality, no institution, no organization, and no community can act alone”, stated North Kivu Deputy Governor, Assistant Divisional Commissioner Louis-Second Karawa.
The Head of MONUSCO’s Beni Office reaffirmed the Mission’s openness to constructive criticism.
“Let us join hands, look each other in the eye, talk to one another, and protect this population”, said Abdourahamane Ganda, while warning against misinformation and hate speeches.
Commitments for a fresh start
At the end of the session, several recommendations were made, including:
- The return of Radio Okapi to the area;
- completion of pending community projects;
- strengthening the operational capacity of security forces;
- redeployment of MONUSCO in certain areas;
- enhanced collaboration between communities, authorities and MONUSCO
“It is now a matter of looking in the same direction, putting the past behind us, and identifying ways to heal the wounds caused by the events of 2022… We now want to move forward together for the sake of peace and security in our region… We, the community leaders of the city of Butembo, commit to initiating dialogue with MONUSCO (…) in a spirit of confidence, in order to rebuild the trust that had already been broken”, Yves-Célestin Kabambi emphasized.
“In conclusion, the President of Butembo’s civil society, Mathe Saanane, noted that ‘this workshop forms part of a process of collaboration and dialogue with MONUSCO, whose presence should be leveraged for the benefit of civilian protection and stabilization,’ as emphasized by the authorities. He also warned against the dangers of misinformation, calling for information to be verified, including through official sources.”
Jean-Tobie OKALA
