Kinshasa: the urgent need to expand the national service recommended to reduce insecurity in municipalities

Kinshasa, April 8^th, 2026 (CPA).- The urgent need to expand the national service to supervise young people and reduce insecurity in the municipalities of Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been recommended on Wednesday, during an interview granted to CPA by the coordinator of the caucus of municipal youth council presidents. “We particularly emphasise on the need to extend the national service, not only in the Kanyama-Kasese area, but also across the whole town of Kinshasa. This service will enable us to supervise and train young people, promote discipline, civic-mindedness and patriotism, and sustainably reduce insecurity in our municipalities,” has declared Miriane Kizimini. “We are convinced that one of the main causes of the current insecurity lies in the lack of productive activities for young people and idleness,” she has added. ‎Ms Kizimini has explained that since several months, the municipalities are facing a resurgence of acts of insecurity, characterised in particular by aggressions, armed robberies, urban violence and a worrying rise in criminal gangs. “This situation seriously jeopardises the safety of the population and further undermines social cohesion, particularly among young people,” she has added. ‎The coordinator of the caucus of municipal youth council presidents for the city of Kinshasa has also expressed her deep concern at the risk of DRC’s capital descending into a spiral of uncontrolled violence, similar to the situation currently facing Haiti, if strong, urgent and structural measures are not taken to fully restore the authority of the State. ‎The National Service is a specialised public body, established by Decree-Law 032 of October 15^th, 1997.  Today, it is based solely at the Kaniama Kasese site.