The base of Eringeti is manned by soldiers of the South African contingent of MONUSCO and the town of Eringeti, located 60 km north of the city of Beni, is experiencing relative calm that has allowed people, who had been displaced, to return to their homes and resume their normal life.
However, since the end of 2021, with the military operations underway, the struggling ADF rebels have been attacking civilians, who were isolated when they fled and pushing the population to seek refuge in areas considered safer.
The security situation in the region has prompted the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) to set up a base in Eringeti.
The South African peacekeepers were given the task of ensuring the protection of civilians, in accordance with MONUSCO’s mandate. The peacekeepers say they have received a warm welcome from the population and local chiefs who collaborate with them without any problem, according to Major Chochoe, commander of the base.
Apart from some inter-community conflicts, which are caused by insecurity and unemployment that push young people to join armed groups, the presence of MONUSCO has restored relative peace in the area.
“The presence of MONUSCO gives us hope and the way we are working with them today further strengthens the cohesion between us and this base. We want MONUSCO to be able to redouble its efforts to help strengthen security in the area,” said the president of the Bambuba-Kisiki youth group, Germain Kakule Vutsarana.
TE/lb/GIK/APA