Dutch Minister Lilianne Ploumen visits DR Congo in a show of solidarity

By

Sylvain Muyali

The Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade and Cooperation and Development, Lilianne Ploumen, arrived in Goma on Tuesday November 11th at the head of an important delegation on a 24 hour working visit of North Kivu.

On arrival to Goma, Mrs. Ploumen had a meeting with Julien Paluku Kahongya, Governor of the province of North Kivu, in which she presented the message of compassion and solidarity of the government and Dutch people as a result of the massacres of civilians in the Beni region in recent weeks.

In addition to the current security situation, they also discussed the evolution of the stabilisation process in North Kivu, the humanitarian situation, progress and challenges in the process of mineral traceability, as well as opportunities to strengthen the cooperation and economic development of the province.

“I am delighted by the remarkable and positive developments that have been made since my last visit to Goma in February” said Lilianne Ploumen. “Nevertheless the situation in places like Beni shows that the challenges to ensure the safety of people and stabilisation of eastern DRC remain important. My Government will continue to contribute to the efforts of the Congolese authorities and the international community to achieve sustainable peace and development in this region, “she continued.

During their stay, Lilianne Ploumen and her delegation will visit the village of Rubaya in Masisi, a major mining operating locations for coltan in eastern DRC, where the Netherlands support the implementation of a charge of operating system and mineral traceability. They will then travel to Kibumba to visit a project of the International Organisation for Migration IOM funded by the Netherlands to consolidate peace and socio-economic recovery in Rutshuru and Nyiragongo in the wake of the defeat of the M23 Movement.

Thanks to this project some 1,750 households have received agricultural tools and seeds to start a new life. “Policing” has also been strengthened through the training of 236 police officers (40 trainers), in addition to equipment for their staffing offices and the setting up of a framework for dialogue with the public.

This is the second official visit by Mrs. Ploumen in eastern DRC since joining the department in 2012, a sign of the interest that the government of the Netherlands and the minister personally attach to this and the Great Lakes region.

The Netherlands is one of the leading bilateral donors to development and stabilisation in the eastern DRC, as well as interventions in the areas of humanitarian assistance and the fight against sexual violence.

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‘