Civil society mobilizes citizens in Bukavu against M23 threat

In Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, a significant citizen march took place on Wednesday, orchestrated by the civil society organization Forces Vives.

Thousands of locals took to the streets to express their concerns about the troubling advance of M23 rebels moving into South Kivu through the border town of Minova.

Maître Nene Bintu, the leader of Civil Society South Kivu, expressed grave concerns against the government, stating that, "Congolese are being killed like flies, with millions of internally displaced people, accompanied by numerous humanitarian crises and their consequences. The Kigali regime has clearly turned its back on the Luanda process, boycotting the meeting on December 15, 2024, which you attended alone."

Brandishing placards and chanting slogans, demonstrators also condemned the unlawful extraction of minerals, a persistent problem in the area.

South Kivu, abundant in natural resources has suffered for years from organized plundering by Chinese capital firms, which support both local and global networks.

Fadhili Mubole, a resident of Bukavu, expressed concern about the illegal mining of minerals in the Mwenga territory by Chinese nationals.

"I abandoned everything to take to the streets," he said. "We are exhausted from witnessing the plundering of our resources, yet there are no roads or infrastructure being built. Every day, people in our community suffer from hunger, and we must speak out against this injustice."

In the midst of ongoing tensions in eastern DRC, this protest highlights the determination of the South Kivu population to take a stand against insecurity and the unlawful exploitation of their resources.

The spotlight is now on the authorities, urging them to deliver tangible solutions to these pressing challenges that threaten the region's peace and development.