Kinshasa: July 5th,2026 (CPA).- A call for solidarity to overcome armed conflicts has been addressed to young people this Saturday, during the launching of an organisation called the “Kivu, Ituri and Maniema Youth Movement” in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
“We call on the youth of Kivu, Ituri and Maniema to show solidarity, national unity and determination to overcome these armed conflicts that have been plaguing us for decades, as we face several major challenges in restoring peace and reviving development in our provinces,” has declared Bienfait Eric Kahasha, president of this organisation. “The Rwandan aggressors, operating under the banner of the M23, who have occupied our territories, continue to sow terror and massacre our brothers and sisters. They have caused a massive displacement of people as well as a humanitarian crisis,” has added Mr Kahasha. “Villages are being ransacked, families torn apart, our wives, sisters and mothers are being raped, and children are growing up in fear, whilst young people’s dreams are being shattered,” he has emphasised.
For his part, the representative of Ituri Province, Patient Komayombi, has explained that “This is an opportunity for us to speak out about what has been happening in the country since 2021; it is an opportunity for us to tell the whole world that from now on, silence will no longer be part of our lives when it comes to what is happening in our region, whilst in other parts of the country roads and universities are being built, but here we are first and foremost seeking to liberate our territories…”.
The representative from Maniema, Mr Mushiri, has specified that “the land that Patrice Lumumba left us as a legacy and the land of Simon Kimbangu (…) our mothers are being raped all day long – what are we to do? We have just told the world that our land is in danger; this is not just a matter for the people of North Ituri, Sud-Kivu or Maniema, it concerns all Congolese (…), I’m just telling you, stand up,” he has concluded. CPA/