In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a demonstration was organized on February 15, 2024 by civil society in Bukavu, capital of the province of South Kivu, to denounce the war raging in the east of the DRC and demand from the Congolese authorities the end of relations with several states and institutions and the closure of the borders with Rwanda. Reporting.
2 mins
With our correspondent in Bukavu, William Basimike
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), civil society in South Kivu is angry following the war which has resumed in the neighboring province of North Kivu for two years.
During a demonstration secured by the police on February 15, 2024 in Bukavu, she said she expected clear and courageous measures from the Congolese authorities for the pacification of eastern DRC.
It proposes the severance of diplomatic relations with all aggressor countries and the closure of borders with Rwanda.
“ We demand the immediate closure of our borders with Rwanda and Uganda »
Dressed in black, small banner in her hands, Ludmilla Witanene, for example, joined the thousands of demonstrators on the city’s main artery to make her voice heard. She doesn’t get angry: “ I saw in a video, a mother who was carrying her child on her back, and who had been shot. The child continued to cry, not knowing that his mother was already dead. It hurt me and that’s what pushed me to protest to show our pain. Really, we’re fed up! We are tired ! »
In a memo given to interim governor Marc Malago, the demonstrators regret that the Congolese government has mentioned an imminent end to the war but maintains diplomatic relations with different states. Adrien Zawadi, president of civil society in South Kivu, says: “ For the umpteenth time, we demand and ask the President of the Republic for the immediate withdrawal of our country from the East Africa community [l’organisation sous-régionale, Communauté est-africaine, qui avait déployé une force dans l’Est de la RDC, Ndlr] and the French-speaking world [l’Organisation internationale de la francophonie, dirigée par la Rwandaise Louise Mushikiwabo, Ndlr]the immediate closure of our borders with Rwanda and Uganda until further notice. ” He insists : “ Burundi did it [fermé ses frontières, Ndlr] and the Burundians are not dead; the severance of diplomatic relations with the United States, the United Kingdom, France and other countries of the European Union. »
As a security measure, several shops owned by foreigners closed their doors until the end of the demonstration.
Read alsoDRC: in Bukavu, a demonstration against the war in the East and to demand vigorous diplomatic measures