Congolese Governor Paluku makes bold decision to close IDP camp

By

Sylvain Muyali

The governor of North Kivu, Julien Paluku this Tuesday, in mission work in the town of Rutshuru, decided to close the Kiwanja Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camp.

He stated that the camp has no reason to remain open as there no longer exists a situation whereby families flee their places of origin due to war.

“If people gathered here (it) is because they feared one day at home there was insecurity. Now that the M23 have been completely defeated, there are no more reasons, “said Julien Paluku.

The governor of North Kivu stated that the decision to close the camp was taken because of the insecurity that developed it.

“We found in this camp ten weapons that were used by the occupants and tools which they used to go and kill in Kiwanja and Rutshuru. With all these reasons, we said that we can not continue to let this camp here because there will finally be a place where crime is installed, from which the crime to the city, to the territory “says Julien Paluku.

For him, it was also time for the displaced to return to their respective communities to resume a normal life and perform as they did before.

“We believe that it is also an honor to our parents to take them home than leaving them in these huts. We can not be dependent on outside assistance all the time while Rutshuru is a productive territory. Simply that these people go home. And in three months, they start producing “said the governor.

Nearly 900 displaced households live in the camp of Kiwanja. They have until Wednesday at 5 in the morning to leave.

Julien Paluku promised to make available vehicles to bring them back to their original settings which led to the provincial government authorising said transportation.

As of Wednesday December 3 countrymen grouped into 900 households will return to their respective localities. The statement by the local government confirmed that all IDP camps in the province of North Kivu must close before the end of 2014.

It has been confirmed that the Kiwanja IDP camp housed armed men, bandits reportedly operating from there with girls exposed to prostitution also, tracing HIV AIDS already prevalent in the camp.

Elsewhere in Governor Paluku’s roaming mission, the erection of  illegal barriers on the Goma-Rutshuru section has been halted. “It’s the end of the ordeal of road users they testified”, smiling.

Sylvain Muyali

Sylvain Muyali is a Journalist, Photographer and Filmmaker from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He has reported previously for the Associated Press and his words and images can also be found at ‘Vivons Positivement‘