Bunia, April 30th, 2025 (CPA) – The progress of the Stabilization and Recovery of Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (STAREST) project was the focus of an exchange on Tuesday in Bunia between the coordinator of this programme and the interim Governor of Ituri, in the north-east of the country, as seen by the CPA.
‘STAREST has been operational in Ituri for a year now. With just a few days to go before the official launching of construction work on socio-community infrastructure in the territories of Irumu and Djugu, we thought it would be useful to take stock of the situation with the authorities so that they could personally carry out the official launching. These are the first infrastructures that the STAREST project will be deploying in 9 communities in Irumu territory and 9 others in Djugu territory, for the 2024 financial year’, said Steve Sengida, provincial coordinator of the Stabilization and Recovery of Eastern DRC project. Accompanied by the Managing Director of Group German Construction, Rémy Joseph Manunga, he explained that the infrastructure will be built by the company, which won the contract. ‘Its teams are already deployed in the field.
Today, we had to obtain the approval of the provincial authorities for this major activity, which will support the province’s efforts to rehabilitate its communities. The provincial authority, which is also chairman of the project’s advisory committee, will support its deployment in Ituri’. With regard to the sites selected, Mr Sengida indicated that the official launching will benefit the 18 projects to be completed between now and May 10th in Ituri, adding that they had chosen the town of Baviba, in the village of Songolo, 37 km from Bunia. This choice was made at the request of the local community. The provincial authority will be visiting the site to mark the event, as these areas, which were previously inaccessible, are now open, enabling the project to be rolled out.
Other projects are also planned, including the construction of a school in Chini ya Kilima (Bahema/Sota), Walendu/Pitsi, Bahema/Nord (Buku group) and Walendu/Tatsi. We are getting closer to the communities that are expressing an urgent need for basic infrastructure. The STAREST project is designed to support the government’s efforts to restore peace and security, as well as community recovery’. He also specified that ‘the maximum duration of the project is 4 months, in order to make these infrastructures rapidly accessible to the beneficiaries’. This project, it is pointed out, concerns four territories in the province of Ituri: Irumu, Djugu, Mahagi and Mambasa, with the exception of the territory of Aru, which has not been directly affected by the activism of the armed groups.