For several days now, insecurity has been rampant in the city of Beni, the provisional capital of North Kivu province. The commune of Mulekera has been the most targeted by unwanted “night-time visits”.

According to Kamabu Mukama Kennedy, president of the Mulekera Youth Council, several incursions have been reported, specifically in the Tamende neighborhood. The assailants take telephones, money and other valuables during their operations. “The assailants operate with complete impunity. From last week until yesterday, the Tamende neighborhood has become the epicenter of this banditry,” he said.

The municipal youth council attributes this situation to the lack of effective security measures. “What surprises us is that serious measures are still not being taken. The victims call for help, but unfortunately, it always comes too late. “

Faced with this chaos, Mukama Kennedy calls on the authorities to take appropriate measures to curb this crime. “The authorities must act to prevent these incursions and protect residents. The city is full of soldiers and police officers; we believe that their presence would be more useful in the context of community policing. What we are experiencing is not what our people deserve,” he concluded.

These bandits, who remain unidentified, are spreading terror and desolation. Meanwhile, the population is paying the price for what is perceived as a failure on the part of the city authorities, who are supposed to guarantee the protection of citizens and their property.

Written by Azarias Mokonzi