Mustapha Milambo, a former World Food Program driver, met his death earlier yesterday after rebels attacked their convoy. Sources report that militia attacks have been recurrent in the country since the onset of covid. Their loved one’s unfortunate demise saddened families, relatives, and close friends as they gathered at his home to pay their last respect.
The Tragedy to the WFP Driver
Though there is no transparency on what happened, witnesses reported that armed groups killed the Congolese driver in an attack against a UN convoy in eastern DRC. Milambo’s incident is not the first one. Eastern DRC has been plagued by militia groups who are thirsting for control. They are eyeing to have power over the mineral-rich regions of the state.
Italian Ambassador to DRC, Luca Attanasio, and an Italian police officer Vittorio Iacovacci also sustained severe bullet wounds. They happened to be alongside Milambo when the incident transpired. It is known to authorities that the insurgents often conduct their attacks to loot, kill and destroy. And they have become a significant concern in central and west Africa.
The Burial
“We were shocked by this tragedy; we were struck by the fact that my husband left the house in the morning for work, and then the next thing we knew was that he was shot dead,” said Asina Selemani, wife of the deceased, killed in the attack against World Food Program convoy.
The broken window could not hold it together. A group of women was by her side, trying to comfort her through her sorrow. It was quite unfortunate that her husband had been alive in the morning and died in the evening. Most probably, as Mustapha might have been their sole breadwinner, a deep void remains in the family.
What is DRC’s Government Doing to End Insurgency
Like the Sahel states, militia attacks have been dominant in DRC, mostly the rural areas. Occasionally, civilians have been pleading with the government to end the attacks. Following the recent incident, Moussa Mabange, head of the Muslim community in North Kivu, called on the government that it was their responsibility to protect the people.
Milambo’s death and many more deaths have occurred under unprecedented incidents. Mabange pledged to Felix Tshikedi, DRC’s President, to swiftly restore peace so that such tragedies come to pass.
“Felix Antoine Tshisekedi, the president of the republic, and also the governor of our province, have to resolve ways to bring us peace, to secure our country, so deaths like this do not happen anymore.”
Authorities in DRC have come up with several programs to combat militia attacks. There is the United Nations Peacekeeping mission. It is a UN operation that aims at reducing violence in the country and stabilizing it. The UN force has been using its means to protect civilians, provide humanitarian support and even defend human rights in Congo.
In most cases, when rebels raid a village in DRC, UN peacekeepers usually come through for them. They provide them with food, shelter, medication, and even clothing. In some cases, they assist the DRC forces in their battle against the insurgents.
MORE:
