By
Sylvain Muyali
The commemoration of the 33rd International Peace Day was marked in Goma, in the Province of North Kivu, by an open air concert of five time Grammy nominated American recording artist Akon, who performed before an estimated crowd of over 6,000 people in the chambers of Goma International Airport, at the foot of Mount Nyiragongo.
Organised by Peace One Day, a non profit organisation involved in several peace initiatives around the world, the concert was a huge success with the people, all generations and social classes in attendance, marking the difference between previous years (2012 and 2013) during which the regular Congolese army faced the rebellion of the M23 in the southern part of North Kivu while the ADF-NALU were rampant in the Beni territory.
Several authorities and well known personalities were present at the event in Goma, alongside that of Julien Paluku, the provincial governor of North Kivu, who was joined by Martin Kobler, Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of the UN Mission for Stabilisation in DR Congo (MONUSCO).
Julien Paluku stated that the concert “was a strong message to the world that in this part of the DR Congo, it is necessary to have a different language from that of weapons,” adding also that “we send a message around the world that we want nothing but peace and will oppose any initiative that returns us to war.”
On stage before the waiting crowd Paluku warned anyone who ‘profited’ from war in North Kivu that “all the children of the province will be united as one man to stand in its way.”
Julien Paluku and Martin Kobler used this opportunity to call on all armed groups opposed to the voluntary disarmament to give peace a chance by going to the FARDC or MONUSCO.
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