Locals of Kakwa in DRC want FARDC to maximise security of the territory!

The chiefdom of the Kakwa in the west of the rural commune of Aru, is under threat from the south of the repeated attacks of the South Sudanese soldiers who engage in looting of their goods,arson of the houses and other scenes of vandalism decried by local forces.

From April 2020 to the present, at least 8 attackd by these foreign soldiers have been reported in this part of Ituri province that shares the border with South Sudan.

Several testimonies collected on the spot point to the absence of the Congolese soldiers on the border between the DRC and South Sudan, thus facilitating the entry of these foreign soldiers who sometimes operate without being disturbed on Congolese territory.

But why these attacks?

According to Kengezi-Base village chief Way Ada Obu, these South Sudanese soldiers presented "a list of rebels" who are refugees in the DRC and who are used to "attacking" them in their country. According to the same source, supported by local civil society, they are demanding the extradition of these "alleged rebels" who are believed to have been hiding among the refugees hosted in the Kakwa chiefdom.

To put an end to this obvious violation of the borders of a sovereign country by foreign soldiers, the Congolese government must urgently deploy the soldiers to the border between these two neighboring countries, said the chief of Kengezi-Base.

"I want the government to strengthen the military presence here. Our country is almost no longer inhabited. If the soldiers do not arrive, I too may leave this place, "he said.

"We want to strengthen the military. We want to live in peace, in all tranquility at home ”suggested some inhabitants interviewed.

Last week, a bilateral agreement was reportedly signed between the border authorities of the two countries who had gathered in the same village with the aim of restoring peace, but unfortunately no improvement in the situation has been noted on the ground. Just the next day, Saturday, June 13, these SPLA soldiers signed a double incursions into Kengezi-base where more than 14 houses were looted, border agents tortured, an Ak 47 weapon of a delighted policeman and a large sum of money taken before burning down a few houses and robbing shops belonging to local merchants.

For civil society, the option remains military and the Congolese government must do everything to deploy the FARDC soldiers along the border.