MONUSCO organizes workshop to promote democratic dialogue in DRC

By

Darell Maurice

The Civil Affairs section of the United Nations Mission in DRC, MONUSCO, in collaboration with the civil society and local authorities on Friday launched a dialogue and awareness workshop on the security dynamics in the Uvira territory in South Kivu.

In his opening remarks, the Acting Head of the MONUSCO Sub-Office in Uvira, Armand Forster, identified the objectives of the workshop and recalled its aims to promote mutual dialogue and collaboration between stakeholders of civil society and local authorities; where relationships are sometimes imprints of distrust, frustration and misunderstanding or confrontation; even though everyone’s attention should be paid to the many threats that originate both from outside and from within the Territory.

A goal that met the concern of the Deputy Director for Political Affairs of the Uvira territory, which in turn recalled the various threats posed by the infiltration of militias and other armed groups in its area of responsibility; this, he said, through uncontrolled paths, 25 in the Plain of Ruzizi of which only 10 are partially monitored (only) during the day by the DGM. Stephanie Milenge also noted other problems that are threats to its citizens: power struggles, land disputes, transhumance … or ethnocentrism. Problems which concluded the Deputy Director of Planning, are unfortunately exploited by various militias that operate through its territory.