Uvira, April 24th, 2025 (CPA) – Judicial activities have resumed in Uvira, in the province of South Kivu (east of the Democratic Republic of Congo), after several months of paralysis, following a visit to the area by the provincial authorities, the CPA learned on Wednesday from an official source. ‘The visit marks the start of the process of resetting the local judicial authorities, in particular the public prosecutor’s office and the high court, whose activities have been at a standstill since February. The reason for this paralysis was an act of vandalism perpetrated by uncivilized people, who caused significant material damage,’ said Jean-Jacques Elakano, Vice-Governor of South Kivu.
He added that the restoration of the authority of the State ‘inevitably’ requires a fair justice system, before calling on all judicial officers to resume their duties and stressing that it is time to serve the nation with responsibility and commitment.
Ms Joséphine Mudimbi, the current prosecutor, expressed her gratitude to the provincial authorities for their direct involvement, assuring them that ‘the return to normality is eminent’. ‘Thanks to this initiative, the stalemate that was holding up the functioning of the judicial system is on the way to being resolved’, she said. For her, the resumption of judicial activities is seen as a strong signal for the restoration of order and legality in the town of Uvira. The town of Bukavu has been under occupation by the Rwandan-backed AFC/M23 rebels for nearly a month. It was against this backdrop that, during an audience, the President of the Republic asked the governorate of South Kivu to leave Bukavu and temporarily relocate to Uvira. This was followed by a telegram from the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the Homeland, who officially ordered this temporary relocation in March 2025. This was part of the government’s response to the challenges and administrative reorganization aimed at better managing the crisis situations that have shaken the province of South Kivu since the occupation of the town of Bukavu by M-23/AFC terrorists in collusion with the Rwandan army. ACP/