Kolwezi, June 28th, 2026 (CPA).- Four brand-new pickup trucks have been handed over to the Armed Forces and the National Police in Lualaba Province, southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), by the provincial government to help combat banditry and strengthen security for the transportation of mining products along National Road No. 39, CPA learned on Sunday from an official source. « We recently held a joint security meeting with Zambia. One of the major concerns raised was the growing insecurity along the road linking Lualaba Province to Kasumbalesa, towards Haut-Katanga. Drivers, particularly those transporting mining products, have been targeted and killed by armed bandits along this route, » said Governor Marie-Thérèse Fifi Masuka.
She added: « Following these concerns, President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi instructed us to provide you with the necessary resources so that you can neutralize, eliminate and significantly reduce this insecurity. » The provincial authority took the opportunity to urge members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and the Congolese National Police (PNC) to work together in unity, identify criminal elements and ensure the protection of both the population and their property. « You are children of the same nation and must stand together. It is through unity that you will be able to identify and expose infiltrators, » she stressed. Governor Marie-Thérèse Fifi Masuka also called on the beneficiaries to ensure the proper management and maintenance of the vehicles, which are intended for surveillance operations and to secure the transportation of goods along National Road No. 39, particularly on the busy Mutaka-Kolwezi section, frequently used by heavy-duty trucks. The official handover ceremony took place at the forecourt of the former Governor’s Office in the presence of members of the Provincial Security Committee, including Provincial Minister of the Interior Philippe Kaumba, Provincial Police Commissioner General Roger Isiyo, and several senior military officers.