At least one hundred transport vehicles have been burned since January 2023 by armed groups on North Kivu and Ituri roads.
This was denounced on Monday, July 31, by the economic operators of these two provinces. They reported that insecurity persists on the Mambasa-Komanda-Luna roads in Ituri and Kanyabayonga-Rutshuru roads in North Kivu.
In a document submitted to the governors of Ituri and North Kivu, the Fédération des entreprises du Congo (FEC) of the Beni-Lubero grouping asked the provincial governments to secure this region urgently by rehabilitating these roads.
In this memorandum, economic operators in the transport sector mentioned several problems they face: the persistence of insecurity on the national road number 4 and agricultural service road, the dilapidation of the roads which expose vehicles to attacks by armed groups.
In addition, on May 21, a convoy of vehicles was blocked in Sokotano. Users were surprised by the ADF, which set fire to seven trucks containing goods.
On North Kivu, they criticize the M23 for blocking the movement of goods and people on the Kanyabayonga-Rutshuru road axis.
Faced with all these challenges, these businessmen plead for the resumption of military escorts to guarantee users’ safety and the recovery of soldiers. This is followed by the redeployment of the FARDC units with the support of the Ugandan army.
They are also asking for the reopening of traffic between Rutshuru and Kanyabayonga to facilitate trade.
On the economic level, they invite the government to rehabilitate the Ndalia-Katabey-Otmaber Idohu and Komanda Lolwa sections and to ensure the maintenance of this road by carrying out manual cantonment works.
The governor of Ituri pointed out that steps were in progress to identify the company to perform this maintenance project. Regarding the security situation, he says that the government was trying to “neutralize the enemy”.
