Civil society in (mahagi)DRC not happy at the popularity of Ugandan currency.They are calling the society to stop using Ugandan money.

After the observed rise in the Ugandan Shilling rate on the market in Mahagi territory located more than 180km north of Bunia, local civil society is calling for an end to the use of this foreign currency on Congolese soil.
According to Anican Tengo of this civic structure, the instability of the Shilling by money changers who have set fanciful rates for two months has negatively impacted the prices of essential goods in this country.
"The money changers set the rate at 60,000 FC per 100,000 Ugandan Shillings, which is exorbitant," notes this actor from civil society.
For him, the authorities must be able to suspend the circulation of this Ugandan currency on Congolese soil.
"We ask the authorities to intervene so that the money changers can go and settle at the border and wait until the passengers who go to Uganda can buy the Shillings there and those who return to the Congo can change the Shillings with the Congolese Francs "explains Mr. Tengo .
In Mahagi and many other localities along the Ugandan-Congolese border, foreign currency is used for market transactions.
Congolese Francs are completely ignored, since the DRC produces almost nothing to sell to Ugandans.
All the manufactured products consumed on the spot come from Uganda and the sellers demand from the Congolese buyers the Shillings, which causes the Congolese currency to lose all value.

The security situation in ituri is worrying and needs immediate solution

The security situation in Ituri remains very worrying. Investigative reports for the last 6 months shows an upsurge trend in attrocities committed by various groups that led to insecurities and displacement of local people.
On Monday July 6, 2020, a group of young people in Bunia, identifying with "social actors" organized a peaceful march. A memorandum has been filed with the Ituri provincial government and the UN mission, containing a series of recommendations.
"To the central government, to establish an advanced headquarters in Djugu and Mahagi, to reinforce the army in manpower and adequate equipment in the face of symmetrical warfare, to dispatch the ministers of defense and of humanitarian actions in order to assess situation and find a final solution, ”wrote Gloire Abasi, their leader.

"At Monusco, to extend their military base throughout Djugu and Mahagi, to properly ensure the protection of civilians against the assailants, to support the government in the process of precanting the militiamen".
Beyond an implication of the international community and the Congolese state to guarantee the peace and security of the Iturian population, an appeal is also launched to young people, the population as well as the provincial government.
The Ituri population is thus called to "refrain from attempting to create ethnic groups for self-defense (...). The youth must collaborate with the defense forces by denouncing any suspicious movement and anyone who wants to compromise the peace and tranquility of the population ”.
In their memo, these young people indicate that Djugu, Irumu, Mahagi and Mambasa remain insecure who did not say his name. Multiple armed groups are reported, at the root of the extreme atrocities. Situation which must "cease definitively".

ADF attacked Batongo on Sunday July 05,2020

The locality of Batongo in the chiefdom of Banyali Tchabi in Irumu territory was the target of a new incursion by the Ugandan rebels of the ADF on
Sunday, July 05, 2020 at around 10 p.m. local time.
According to Babanileo Tchabi Étienne, head of this area who delivered information ,shops were looted of their goods, including bags of rice and other consumer products.
The ADF also abducted some people found there to transport their spoils of war, but their number is not yet known.
After their attrocities,the rebels then withdrew into the forest, leaving behind a chaos and fear among the local population.
This is the third attack in the area by these Ugandan Islamists active in Beni in neighboring North Kivu, the latest of which occurred on June 20 in Vukaka village, killing 10 civilians.

The Joint United Nations Office for Human Rights presented a report that condemns ADF attrocities in DRC

In a report released on June 6, the Joint United Nations Office for Human Rights (BCNUDH) has returned to the atrocities that are being committed by ADF
rebels.A summary of  executions, physical integrity are mainly perpetrated using machetes, axes, knives and using AK-47 type guns, mortars and rocket launcher in Beni territory and part of Ituri province.
Attacks that have often taken the form of reprisals and incursions into villages that the ADF fighters have sometimes looted and burned in reprisals against FARDC military operations.
In this report, which identifies human rights violations from January 2019 to January 2020, the BCNUDH notes that, under international law, " these violations of international humanitarian law and human rights violations committed by ADF fighters could, by their nature and magnitude, be crimes against humanity and war crimes ".
" In most cases, the means and mode of attacks clearly state the intention of leaving no survivors. Whole families have been completed with machete ", can read in the report.
According to the investigations, from January 1, 2019 to June 2020, 30, 1066 civilians were killed, 176 injured and 717 others abducted by ADF fighters in the provinces from North Kivu and Ituri. During the same period, 59 children were recruited; and one school, seven health centres and dozens of houses of civilians were attacked and looted. The violence caused massive population movements between September 2019 and June 2020.

President Tshisekede's team is in ITURI to compel CODECO rebels to stop killings and opt for peace

At the initiative of Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi, a delegation of former warlords recently released from prison arrived on Friday July 3, 2020 in Bunia to "preach peace" to CODECO attackers active in the territory of Djugu.
Part of the team are, Floribert Ndjabu, former head of the Lendu militia called "Front des nationalistes integrationistes, FNI" during the interethnic war between 1999 and 2003, Brigadier General Germain Katanga, ex leader of the FRPI militia having sentenced to 12 years in prison by the ICC, Pitchou Iribi Mbodina, former FRPI, Brigadier General Godas Emery, former rebel integrated into the Congolese army, Colonel Matthieu Ngudjolo, also former FNI, Jeannot Malivo Kagaba, an expert and other FARDC officers.
"We are envoys, messengers of the President of the Republic, as expert negotiators. We come to discuss, to negotiate with the armed groups so that there is peace in Ituri ", Floribert Ndjabu told the press when he got off the plane at Bunia airport.
Led by General FARDC Buamwanda Ntumba Franck, the team, made up of 13 people, arrived on an aircraft chartered by the President of the Republic.
How can ex-warlords become experts in negotiating peace?
This is the question that many have always asked themselves regarding this approach by Félix Tshisekedi.
However, the idea seems well thought out knowing the context of Ituri.
CODECO's current militiamen, the majority of whom are from the Lendu ethnic group, have been former combatants in the FNI rebel movement led by Floribert Ndjabu and Matthieu Ngudjolo.
These two personalities have a great influence on the current attackers who have mourned the territories of Djugu, Mahagi and Irumu for three years.
On the other hand, the presence in this mission of Germain Katanga and Pitchou Iribi, former leaders of the FRPI militia who agreed to lay down their arms and engage in a peace process with the Congolese government, can help to share their experience with CODECO to convince them to stop hostilities.
So far nothing has been filtered on the continuation of this mission which should last 10 days according to sources however our team I going to keep an eye on the mission.Lets all pray that ituri gets lasting peace...and let us thank the DRC authorities,MONUSCO and FARDC for listening and taking our leaks about the situation in ITURI into consideration.

DRC army captured 7 CODECO militiamen,4 AK47

Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo captured seven elements of the CODECO militia in an offensive launched at Mbala village, Ezekere group, Walendu-Tatsi sector, on the northern outskirts of Bunia, capital of Ituri.
Lt. Jules Ngongo, spokesman for the army in this province who gave the results of this operation to the press on Friday, July 03 adds that four weapons of the AK-47 type and a mobile phone were also recovered.
"Your army, the FARDC, yesterday afternoon under the leadership of General Yav Avul, operational sector commander of Ituri, we launched a punching operation, an assault on a group of militiamen who was advancing towards our position and by these anticipatory operations we neutralized seven elements of CODECO, four weapons of war of the AK-47 type and a telephone abandoned in their flight ”he declared.
Lt. Jules Ngongo reassures the public that the situation is currently under the control of loyalist forces in this region where mop-up operations are continuing.
He called on the population not to be afraid in case they hear detonations and that everyone goes about their business freely while being vigilant to avoid any surprise from the enemy.
As reported by our sources,You can Recall that since the afternoon of Thursday, July 02, 2020, detonations of heavy and light weapons were heard in certain districts of the city of Bunia. What caused panic among the population.

FPIC rebel group attacks lead to displacement of 14173 Congolese

With many days of attrocities of FPIC militiamen, known as "Chini ya Kilima" in the villages of Kombokabo, Ngadjo, Kayasililo and Marabo, south of Bunia in Irumu territory, a total of 14,173 displaced people found refuge in chiefdoms Walendu Bindi, according to information from local sources.
National deputy Paul Babangu, elected from the region that delivers the information, cites among their host villages Malo, Anyozo, Androzo, Nyamabho, Mula, Pinga, Tsengu and Kasuku.
"The humanitarian situation is alarming, I invite the national minister in charge of humanitarian action to intervene urgently" affirms the elected representative of the people who already deplores cases of infant mortality due to the family and the lack of health care.
On June 29, an army position in Marabo was attacked by these rebels, causing significant displacement of the population.