Samboko, a village located 58 kilometers from the city of Beni in North Kivu, now has public lighting. Before MONUSCO installed solar streetlights there, the population faced darkness which caused cases of insecurity perpetrated by armed groups.

The sixty-five streetlights installed with funding from MONUSCO will light up the public streets of the village, plagued by insecurity. The cost of this quick impact project is worth US$48,300. During the inaugural ceremony on Friday, June 9, Joseph Numondjo, representative of the administrator of the territory the Beni territory of Beni was happy indicating that "light reduces insecurity".

It should be recalled that Samboko village has already experienced cases of insecurity in the past. Here, everyone remembers the painful memory of the armed attack of May 26, 2018. That day, a group of ADF rebels attacked the village and destroyed the only health center existing then. Eleven people were kidnapped. Only one was found.

Since that attack of sad memory, the village was emptying. But it is since 2020 that the populations have started returning homes. According to counts by the village chief, Kapalalo Baemuka, just over 9,000 people currently live there. Prior to the attack, there were 12,000 inhabitants there.

The local authorities are delighted with the installation of the streetlights, powered by solar energy. He believes that this lighting will convince the recently displaced persons who are still hesitant to return to their village to do so.

For Josiah Obat, head of MONUSCO office in Beni, the idea behind this project is to improve security conditions in the area, highlighting “the experience we have had is that wherever we have installed public lighting, security conditions improve. Where there is lighting, armed groups have a little more difficulty attacking the civilian population. This is why when the population in the village made this request to our base in Mayimoya, we responded positively”, he said.

“Here, in Samboko, there has always been insecurity,” further said Joseph Numondjo, representative of the territory administrator. “With the darkness, there was no way our security services could do their job as our population demanded. But with the support from MONUSCO in installing public lighting, our population will be allowed to live comfortably in terms of security during the night. As you are aware, it is during the night that the enemies attack. This is why we are grateful to MONUSCO”, he added.

Myriam Kahambu, member of the Samboko Women's League is also convinced that public lighting in her village will change everything: “Lighting can reduce cases of insecurity, night thefts and rape. It can also help the PNC and the FARDC to better ensure security in the village. This grandiose and commendable work offered to us by MONUSCO as a token of consideration for the population, it will help consolidate collaboration between the beneficiary population and MONUSCO”.

Deprived of drinking water, the inhabitants of Samboko resort to two sources to get their supplies. The challenge: they are far from the village. The first streetlights installed last April now allow civilians to go there without much fear, even at night.