Ituri: Vocational training at the heart of the reintegration of 19 ex-combatants

Bunia, May 5^th, 2026 (CPA) – Several training programs in various fields are planned in Bunia as well as in the territories of Djugu and Irumu (Ituri), in the north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, for nineteen (19) women formerly associated with a self-defense armed group, with a view to their socio-economic reintegration, an NGO official told CPA on Tuesday. “These ex-combatants will be trained in several promising fields of their own choosing, including mechanics, carpentry, agriculture, livestock farming, pastry-making, and tailoring, with training sessions to be organized in Bunia as well as in several localities of the Djugu and Irumu territories,” said Georgine Love Kitabu, coordinator of the NGO “Women in Action for Multisectoral Development (FADEM). “This program aims to strengthen the professional skills of ex-combatants as well as certain members of local communities, in order to promote their self-reliance and sustainable integration,” she added. Ms. Kitabu expressed satisfaction with the level of commitment shown by these ex-combatants who laid down their arms in Mabanga (Djugu) to undergo training, with a view to their effective integration into society, which is the foundation for the return of lasting peace. The current project, “Support to the peace process and stability in the eastern territories of the DRC,” is funded by the European Union and implemented by the NGO FADEM.