National Assembly: The security situation in Kasai at the center of a debate

Kinshasa, April 15^th, 2025 (CPA) – The boundary dispute between communities in two territories in Kasai, central Democratic Republic of Congo, was the subject of an exchange on Wednesday between the caucus of national deputies from this province and the president of the National Assembly, according to a press release consulted by CPA on Thursday. ‘The President of the National Assembly, Professor Vital Kamerhe, began an audience on Wednesday, May 14^th with the caucus of national MPs from Kasai province, who had come to alert him to the worrying security situation in their region linked to a boundary dispute between the Kele communities in Ilebo territory and the Luba in Mweka territory,’ read the press release from the lower house of the Congolese parliament.

According to the source, André Mushongo, national deputy for Tshikapa, who initiated the report, explained that the boundary dispute dates back to 31 January 2025, following a letter from the Kele community to the Administrator of the Ilebo territory requesting clarification of the boundaries and the redeployment of boundary markers to reintegrate seven villages currently attached to Mweka. Wishing to promote peace and peaceful cohabitation, the national deputies elected from this province informed the President of the National Assembly of their decision to carry out a parliamentary visit to the two territories to get a feel for the reality on the ground. ‘As elected representatives, we have opted for the path of wisdom and prudence. First we sent a message of peace, then we decided to go and listen to all the communities, groups and people in order to better understand the situation’, explained national deputy Guy Mafuta, quoted in the press release. The President of the National Assembly, welcoming this peaceful approach, pledged his full support for the initiative. Vital Kamerhe pledged that the Bureau of the National Assembly would await the mission’s report before referring the matter to higher authorities with a view to finding a lasting and peaceful solution.