Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – Calm has returned to Lubutu, in Maniema province, following clashes between two factions of Wazalendo militiamen sparked by a leadership dispute. Reconciliation was achieved last weekend during a session convened by local authorities with the support of civil society and community leaders. Colonel Bukuyi and General Mando, leaders of the warring groups, sealed the peace with a handshake.
Lubutu currently hosts some 43,000 displaced people from the Walikale territory in North Kivu, a region partially controlled by the M23 rebels.
The Wazalendo are pro-government militias that support the Congolese regular army (FARDC) in the fight against the M23. However, their command structure is weak and they often escape the control of authorities, engaging in robberies and attacks against the very communities they are supposed to protect. The massive influx of displaced people in the Maniema province has overwhelmed the already fragile local infrastructure, especially health care. Security conditions in the province have deteriorated to such an extent that a local civil society association has called for a day of protest tomorrow, April 16, in Kindu, the provincial capital, to demand greater security and better conditions on provincial roads. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 15/4/2025)
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