There is less than a week until the general elections on December 20. The candidates are therefore entering the home stretch of their electoral campaigns. Among the main themes is the cost of living. In the east of the country in particular, the resumption of the conflict with the M23 armed group has caused record inflation.
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With our special correspondent in Goma, Gaëlle Laleix
Most roads around Goma are controlled by the M23 which imposes taxes on goods. Worse, insecurity prevented the agricultural campaign. “ We have not planted and we have not produced, and yet we continue to consume, explains Jean-Pierre Bwenge, professor of economics and management at the University of Goma. The little foreign currency we have is squandered abroad, through imports. So the dollar is in too much demand and it becomes expensive. »
But in Goma, everything is bought in dollars. The rise in the exchange rate also affects prices. Arnold Djuma is the Secretary General of the Coalition of Volunteers for Peace and Development. “ The bag of rice which cost 19 dollars, we are at 25 dollars. Soaps and toilet paper have increased in price. This is really a risk for stability and cohabitation because it plunges our populations into poverty and our politicians know all that. »
Today, it takes around 2,500 francs for 1 dollar, compared to 2,000 last year.