News (845)
Afriland First Bank DRC is set to lose its teacher-payroll and school operating-fund contracts in five administrative areas, according to a November 14, 2025, document from the National Control Directorate (DINACOPE). The contracts will be reassigned to four other financial institutions after repeated service failures.
The portfolio being withdrawn covers 29,513 teachers, 2,039 schools, and a combined monthly volume of roughly 12 billion Congolese francs (CF) in salaries and operating costs, according to the same DINACOPE document seen by Bankable.
Under the reallocation, operations previously handled by Afriland will be transferred as follows: FirstBank will take over Gemena Ville (Sud-Ubangi); Equity BCDC will manage Idiofa (Kwilu); FINCA will handle Tshikapa 1 (Kasaï); IFOD will take Yumbi (Maï-Ndombe); and TMB will assume responsibility for Nyunzu (Tanganyika), DINACOPE said. The shift underscores operational problems that have long affected Afriland in this segment.
The decision was prompted by delays in salary payments and a series of irregularities attributed to Afriland First Bank DRC. Teachers’ unions and local elected officials in the affected areas had filed multiple complaints, criticizing the bank’s practices and urging authorities to transfer the payroll contracts to other institutions, often citing Equity BCDC, FINCA, or TMB as preferred alternatives.
Grievances had been building for months, including payment delays of up to two or three months, allegedly unlawful deductions, harassment at payment sites, selective or partial payments, inadequate facilities at payout locations, and a complete lack of standard banking services. In Idiofa (Kwilu), the teachers’ union had threatened to launch a strike on November 7, 2025, if no corrective action was taken. Separately, National Deputy Boris Mbuku Laka asked the Finance Minister in writing to move the teacher-payroll contract away from Afriland First Bank.
These developments follow a September 12, 2025, statement by Afriland First Group, which is headquartered outside the DRC, distancing itself from Afriland First Bank CD. The Congolese subsidiary has been under temporary administration since July 2021 after a decision by the Central Bank of Congo. The Group says the DRC unit is now fully managed by the government, which it accuses of trying to strip the original shareholders of their ownership. Afriland First Group says it launched proceedings in August 2023 before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) to challenge the government’s actions.
Timothée Manoke
The Democratic Republic of Congo has issued an international call for expressions of interest to build a national rail manufacturing plant, the transport ministry said.
The initiative builds on a project unveiled in October 2025 to establish train assembly and manufacturing plants in Matadi and Kalemie, aimed at producing several dozen locomotives and wagons a year and training local engineers and technicians.
The rail plant project covers three sites: Kisangani, Kinshasa and Banalia. The main facility in Kisangani will house hot rolling mills for producing UIC54 and UIC60 rails. Kinshasa will handle machining, quality control and storage for export and western transport corridors.
The Banalia site, in Tshopo province, will focus on extracting and processing raw materials such as iron ore, limestone, and coking coal. The wider complex will include electric arc furnaces, metallurgical laboratories, test benches, a hybrid hydro-solar power plant, and an industrial training centre.
The proposed structure is a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer public-private partnership or an industrial joint venture. It would bring together the Congolese state, specialised industrial partners, and international investors, including the African Development Bank, the European Investment Bank, the World Bank, Afreximbank, TDB, and Eximbank.
A special-purpose vehicle will oversee the design, financing, construction, and operation of the infrastructure.
Applications must be submitted by March 9, 2026. Required documents include a letter of interest, a detailed consortium description, legal and administrative paperwork, technical references, financial statements for the past three years, and a concept paper outlining the technical approach, the PPP financing model, the technology transfer plan, and the implementation schedule.
Boaz Kabeya
The Democratic Republic of Congo's mines minister announced the creation of 64 artisanal mining zones on Monday, Nov. 17.
The announcement was made during a crisis meeting in Kolwezi, held two days after a November 15 accident at the Kalando mine that killed around 40 artisanal miners.
"I can officially tell you today that at least 64 artisanal mining zones have been cleared for you," Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba said.
Identifying these zones was the first part of a plan presented by President Felix Tshisekedi during a June 13 council of ministers meeting to curb "the perverse effects denounced in artisanal mining" in Lualaba province, as soon as possible."
Among the problems identified by the head of state was the invasion of industrial mining concessions by artisanal miners, generating cohabitation tensions. The Kalando site is one example. Located 42 kilometers southeast of Kolwezi, it sits on a permit (PE 2116) belonging to Chemical of Africa (Chemaf), which said it ceded the permit to Pajeclem Congo Consulting Sarl on July 21. Artisanal miners access it only on weekends under a "social" authorization, a situation conducive to tension.
President Tshisekedi had requested that the identified zones be "likely to meet the expectations of the sector." The ministry said the 64 zones were determined following joint work with specialized services and validated after several technical field missions.
Minister Watum Kabamba said the decrees establishing these zones have already been signed. It is not yet known when the sites will be made available or when work can begin.
State cobalt monopoly central to formalization plan
Mining in the zones is expected to be conducted in collaboration with the state-owned Entreprise Générale du Cobalt (EGC), a subsidiary of Gécamines, which holds a monopoly on trading artisanal production of strategic minerals like cobalt.
EGC said it has implemented a model to align the artisanal sector with international standards to facilitate the commercialization of its production. The model relies on deploying "controlled mining areas, equipped with weighing devices, direct payment mechanisms and digital tracking systems, guaranteeing that each ton is traceable from the artisanal site to the processing plant."
To allow EGC to exercise its monopoly fully, President Tshisekedi has demanded the strict application of all rules, including sanctions, against processing plants and entities that illegally purchase artisanal cobalt, bypassing EGC's legal monopoly. He also called on Gécamines and its subsidiary to strengthen their financial collaboration. EGC needs funding to offer artisanal miners competitive prices and cash payments to capture a significant share of production.
In a bid to attract investors, EGC presented its first production of 1,000 tons of what it called "structured, ethical and traceable" artisanal cobalt in Kolwezi. Despite the recent accident, artisanal activity continues at Kalando "to maintain social stability.”
Pierre Mokoko & Ronsard Luabeya
The National Road Maintenance Fund (FONER) launched on November 20, 2025, in Inongo, the capital of Mai-Ndombe province, a road maintenance program covering the rehabilitation of 280 kilometers of roads. The governor, Lebon Nkoso, officially opened the project, which aims to improve internal connectivity and support economic activity.
The program spans seven of the province’s eight territories: Yumbi, Kiri, Mushie, Kutu, Inongo, Oshwe, and Bolobo. Only Kwamouth is excluded due to ongoing insecurity.
Several priority sections have been selected, including Bolobo–Ngemu (30 km), Boulevard Ngobila–Yanzalinga (10 km), Banzomoke–Ponde (35 km), Modeo–Nkondi (30 km in Kiri), and Kutu Panza 3–Itwa (35 km in Kutu), among others.
Execution of the works has been entrusted to the Office des voies de desserte agricole (OVDA) for a three-month period. According to provincial director Deo Gratias Ngontula, monthly assessments will be conducted to monitor progress and quality.
Governor Lebon Nkoso noted that this program is a key development tool for the province. He called for rigorous implementation to ease the movement of goods and people across the region.
In addition, two territories in Mai-Ndombe are part of another program covering 103 kilometers of agricultural roads leading to major production areas, identified last July by the Social Fund of the Republic. Their rehabilitation, also assigned to OVDA under the Value Chain Development Support Project, includes the construction of four bridges and three small port facilities, two in Inongo and one in Bokoro.
- Emir Sheikh Tamim’s visit leads to one agreement and five MoUs with the DRC
- Cooperation spans ports, justice, youth, sports, and a social project in South Kivu
- Qatar’s growing footprint includes major investment intentions and involvement in peace efforts
Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, made an official half-day visit to Kinshasa on November 21, 2025. He was received at N’djili International Airport by President Félix Tshisekedi. The two leaders held a private meeting, the content of which has not yet been disclosed, before witnessing the signing of one agreement and five memorandums of understanding, underscoring their ambition to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
The agreement provides for visa exemptions for holders of diplomatic and special passports in both countries. The five memorandums express each party’s intention to cooperate in economic, legal, diplomatic, social, and sports-related areas.
One memorandum concerns port cooperation between Qatar Ports Management Company (Mwani Qatar) and the National Transport Office (ONATRA SA) for the development and management of Congolese port infrastructure. Two others open the way for closer ties between the two countries’ justice ministries and for cooperation in youth and sports.
The Qatar Fund for Development and the Congolese Ministry of Social Affairs also signed a memorandum to support a multisector emergency project in the South Kivu province. Another document establishes regular political consultations on issues of mutual interest.
On September 2, 2025, Kinshasa hosted the Emir’s cousin, Sheikh Al-Mansour Bin Jabor Bin Jassim Al Thani, head of Al Mansour Holding. During that visit, 18 memorandums of understanding were signed between the Qatari private conglomerate and the DRC. These investment intentions, totaling 21 billion $, cover fifteen sectors, including mining, infrastructure, health, agriculture, and hydrocarbons.
Between Kinshasa and Kigali
For now, cooperation between the DRC and Qatar remains at the stage of intentions for most of the announced projects. However, the scale of these commitments reflects Doha’s ambitions in the country. This interest is also visible in Qatar Airways’ decision, in June 2024, to add Kinshasa to its list of destinations.
It is also known that Ivanhoe Mines announced on September 17, 2025, that it had reached an agreement enabling the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, to join its shareholding. In the DRC, Ivanhoe Mines holds 39.6% of Kamoa-Kakula, the country’s largest copper mine, and 62% of the Kipushi zinc mine, recently restarted and poised to enter the global top four. The company is the operator of both strategic sites.
Qatar is also involved in peace efforts in eastern DRC due to its close relations with Rwanda, which supports the AFC/M23 rebels. On the eve of his visit to Kinshasa, the Emir was in Kigali. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and President Paul Kagame discussed the strengthening of their bilateral relations.
According to Rwandan authorities, trade between Rwanda and Qatar has grown by more than 30% in five years. Doha has also invested in Kigali’s new airport and in the national airline RwandAir.
Heineken announced that it transferred its Bukavu brewery to Mauritian company Synergy Ventures Holdings Ltd for a symbolic 1 €, after losing operational control of its facilities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The loss of control is linked to the occupation of the Goma and Bukavu sites by armed groups since June 12, in a context marked by the advance of the M23 in North and South Kivu. (Reuters / Madis Invest)
According to the announcement relayed by Reuters on November 19, 2025, the sale was motivated by humanitarian concerns: preserving jobs and livelihoods, maintaining essential community services, and preventing any misuse of the facilities in an unstable security environment.
It remains unclear how Synergy Ventures plans to restart operations at the Bukavu brewery. The announcement states that the company will assume all responsibilities related to operating the site, including production activities, staff management, and tax obligations. Heineken, for its part, retains a three-year buyback option should security conditions allow a return.
The outlook remains uncertain. Despite the signing on November 15, 2025, in Doha (Qatar), of a Framework Agreement for comprehensive peace in eastern DRC between the Congolese government and AFC/M23 rebels, fighting continues on the ground.
As early as March, Bralima suspended operations in Goma, Bukavu, and Uvira due to raids and looting targeting its warehouses. The rapid deterioration of the situation led to the full evacuation of remaining staff in these three cities on June 20, affecting about one thousand direct and indirect jobs.
These facilities represented a major asset for the group’s Congolese subsidiary. According to internal Bralima data, Goma, Bukavu, and Uvira accounted for nearly one-third of its revenue in the DRC, where Heineken operates five breweries established since the 1920s.
- Nearly 180 trucks from Kisangani remain immobilized on the Makana–Mengwe section of RN3.
- Local markets in Walikale report rising prices and declining stocks of essential goods.
- Transporters urge provincial and national authorities to launch emergency rehabilitation works.
The Walikale territory in North Kivu faces a growing risk of supply shortages in essential goods. The advanced degradation of National Road No. 3 (RN3), which links the region to Maniema, has disrupted the circulation of goods for nearly a month.
Local sources report that almost 180 trucks from Kisangani remain immobilized on the Makana–Mengwe section, located on the border between Walikale (North Kivu) and Lubutu (Maniema). Heavy rains have turned several portions of the road into deep mud, which makes vehicle passage nearly impossible.
The Association des Chauffeurs du Congo (ACCO), quoted by Actualité.cd, states that 120 vehicles remain blocked between Makana and Makote in Walikale territory. ACCO adds that 80 additional trucks remain bogged down between Losso and Mengwe on the Maniema side.
This situation significantly slows traffic along a corridor that remains essential for supplying remote areas of North Kivu.
The disruption already affects several consumption centers, including Makana, Biruwe, Logu, Ndjingala, Mubi and central Walikale. Local traders report rising prices for basic commodities and gradually declining inventory levels due to irregular resupply. Some imported products from Kisangani have begun to disappear from local markets.
In response to the prolonged paralysis, transporters call on provincial and national authorities to launch urgent rehabilitation works on the affected road segments. They argue that a rapid intervention would restore traffic and prevent a broader supply crisis in the region.
This article was initially published in French by Ronsard Luabeya
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
On November 19, Rome Resources announced its plan to raise £1.9 million ($2.4 million) through a share placement. The funds, still subject to regulatory conditions, will be used to finance a new drilling program at the Bisie North tin project the British company is exploring in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Rome Resources says the campaign aims to test priority targets on the site, especially the deeper zones of the Kalayi and Mont Agoma deposits. The company estimates that the work has a discovery potential of between 53,000 and 144,000 tons of mineral resources. This target could increase the 10,600 tons of inferred resources declared last month at Bisie North.
“The board is highly encouraged by the technical foundations laid by the recent maiden mineral resource estimate, which clearly highlights the high-grade potential at both Kalayi and Mont Agoma. We are now looking forward immensely to testing the high grade tin potential of Kalayi deep, a key upside indicated by the recent maiden mineral resource estimate,” said Paul Barrett, CEO of Rome Resources.
Pending the financing, the company expects to start drilling in “approximately two weeks.” The work should continue for 3 to 4 months. Meeting these goals could further position Bisie North as a potential contributor to Congolese tin output, which was 99 % supported in 2024 by Alphamin Resources’ Bisie mine.
Aurel Sèdjro Houenou, Ecofin Agency
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has received its first shipment of Chinese-made construction equipment under a major road partnership with South African group Guma.
Infrastructure and Public Works Minister John Banza Lunda oversaw the arrival of 200 units of civil engineering machinery from China on November 14, according to an official statement. The shipment included dump trucks, bulldozers and various utility vehicles.
The equipment is the first batch of a 5,600-unit order tied to a partnership announced by the Prime Minister’s Office in February 2024 at the Mining Indaba forum in South Africa. At the time, the government said it had reached an agreement with the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and Guma Africa to support an extensive road development program.
The contract covers a planned network of 180,000 kilometers of roads, valued at 450 million dollars. The financing is intended to support equipment purchases, road rehabilitation and maintenance by the Ministry of Infrastructure, and training for operators and technicians within the Roadways and Drainage Authority (OVD) and the Road Office (OR).
Financing and Delays
Although the project was initially expected to roll out over three years, the Ministry of Infrastructure said the contract was not formally signed until August 29, 2025.
The financing structure remains unclear. The Ministry only specified that the project is being “financed without a sovereign guarantee.” The arrangement appears to follow a leasing model in which DBSA acts as the financier, Guma supplies the machinery and the Congolese state leases the equipment. The government would use the machines for road works and repay the cost through lease fees, with ownership passing to the state once the full amount is covered.
Technical details for the planned roads have not yet been released, but the announced budget indicates that the work will mainly involve dirt roads.
In February 2024, the Prime Minister’s Office described the program as a major boost to the Local Development Program for 145 Territories (PDL-145T). The second phase of the PDL-145T, launched in the third quarter of 2022, covers the rehabilitation of more than 38,000 kilometers of rural access roads and related infrastructure, at a cost of 1.25 billion dollars. How the two road programs will be coordinated is still unclear.
During his visit to the DRC on August 29, Guma Group CEO Robert Gumede said the project “will transform the lives of Congolese people by reducing transport costs and stimulating agriculture and industry.” He added that the main objective is to improve links between urban and rural areas to support mobility and strengthen regional integration.
Pierre Mukoko & Timothée Manoke
Entreprise Générale du Cobalt (EGC), a subsidiary of state-owned Gécamines, presented 1,000 tons of artisanally mined cobalt on November 13, 2025, describing the material as “structured, ethical and traceable.”
The event, titled “1,000 Tons of Future,” aimed to demonstrate to markets and investors that artisanal cobalt can meet international expectations on transparency, profitability, and ESG compliance.
EGC General Director Eric Kalala said the company hopes to attract investment that will help build a competitive, nationally controlled artisanal mining industry.
An Informal Sector with Heavy Reliance
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) holds about 72 percent of global cobalt reserves and supplies more than 74 percent of world production. EGC estimates that a significant share of this output comes from artisanal mining, a sector that employs between 1.5 million and 2 million people and supports more than 10 million others.
Despite its economic importance, the sector operates largely outside formal structures. It is marked by non-transparent buying practices, low prices, unsafe working conditions and the dominance of unregulated intermediaries. These problems prompted the U.S. Labor Department to add Congolese cobalt to its 2024 list of goods suspected of being produced with child labor.
Created in 2019, EGC is mandated to organize, purchase and market artisanal cobalt while improving traceability, compliance and fair pay. The company also aims to increase local value addition through small-scale processing, strengthen cooperatives and offer miners more predictable incomes.
Push for Transparency
To carry out its mission and secure financing, EGC says it has developed a model designed to bring the artisanal segment up to international standards.
“The company is deploying controlled mining zones with weighing stations, direct-payment systems and digital tracking tools to ensure every ton is traceable from the mining site to processing,” EGC said.
However, EGC did not disclose where the 1,000 tons presented in Kolwezi were mined. The lack of clarity is significant for industrial buyers, who frequently accuse artisanal miners of entering their concessions illegally. Such incursions regularly spark disputes and, according to the Federation of Congolese Enterprises, have caused nearly 3 billion dollars in losses for one mining company.
Government Response
In response, President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi announced several measures during the 47th Council of Ministers in Kolwezi on June 13, 2025. These include quickly designating legal artisanal mining zones and opening discussions with mining companies, including Gécamines, to release specific land parcels.
Gécamines had already made five pilot sites available to EGC around Kolwezi in February 2024. The sites were intended to support a roadmap to gradually formalize the artisanal cobalt sector. An exploration program began soon after, and EGC announced in September 2024 that targeted drilling would start on one of the locations. Results have not yet been published.
Pierre Mukoko & Ronsard Luabeya
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The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Industrial Promotion Fund (FPI) is seeking partnerships with three major Singaporean economic bodies: the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE), the Economic Development Board (EDB) and Enterprise Singapore (ESG).
FPI Director-General Hervé Claude Ntumba Batukonke met officials from the three institutions during an economic mission to Singapore from November 1 to 8, 2025. The visit was held at the invitation of Embed Financial Group Holdings (EFGH Singapore).
According to an FPI statement, talks with SCE—which develops government-to-government partnerships and capacity-building initiatives—focused on industrial policy, digitalization and skills development. SCE expressed support for reforms underway in the DRC in these areas.
Discussions with the EDB, the agency responsible for attracting investment in sectors such as technology, finance, industry and biotechnology, highlighted opportunities to draw investors into Congolese industrial projects.
FPI also met with Enterprise Singapore, which sees the DRC as a potential partner for future industrial projects. ESG supports the international expansion of Singaporean companies and says it has nearly $20 billion in committed investments across African projects. The agency provides financing, technical support and training for small and medium-sized enterprises.
According to Ntumba, the meetings highlighted the DRC’s economic strengths and presented new investment opportunities in industry. Following the mission, FPI and the Singaporean agencies agreed on several next steps. These include formalizing a bilateral cooperation framework, preparing FPI’s participation in the 2027 International Conference with a list of priority projects, and establishing a mechanism to monitor the progress of investment commitments.
Ronsard Luabeya
Abu Dhabi Ports, the Emirati state-owned company, is considering investments in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Matadi and Boma ports. The potential projects were discussed during a meeting between President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi and Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan on November 16, 2025.
No details were disclosed on the scale of Abu Dhabi Ports’ plans. According to the Congolese Presidency, the port initiatives fall within a wider infrastructure program that includes the Lobito Corridor, two dry ports, and road links from Kolwezi to Dilolo, as well as connections between the DRC, Angola, and Zambia.
The initiative aims to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries. The Presidency said talks also covered the mining sector, the exchange of financial intelligence to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, and cooperation between the two central banks. Both sides discussed completing a long-delayed free trade agreement and organizing an economic forum to attract investment.
Between 2021 and 2023, Congolese exports to the UAE averaged $1.059 billion per year, compared with $1.89 billion in imports, leaving an average annual trade deficit of $650 million. Exports are dominated by mining products such as refined copper, gold, and diamonds.
Trade could increase following the acquisition by Emirati conglomerate IRH/IHC of a 56% stake in Alphamin Resources, the owner of the Bisie tin mine, which strengthens the UAE’s presence in the DRC’s mining sector.
Two other Emirati companies, Lone Star Ltd and Business Gate, have also expressed interest in energy projects in Tshopo Province, particularly in renewable energy.
Boaz Kabeya
- UBA will appoint a Congolese national as CEO of UBA DRC and add nine Congolese board members.
- The bank plans to expand from 3 to 21 branches by 2028 and target USD 1.8 billion in deposits.
- UBA DRC grew net profit 388% in 2024, reaching 21 billion naira.
United Bank for Africa Chairman Tony Elumelu announced a sweeping localisation plan for UBA Democratic Republic of Congo after meeting President Félix Tshisekedi on November 16, 2025. Elumelu outlined the changes during a visit to Kinshasa, according to a summary posted by the presidency on X.
The presidency stated that UBA DRC will appoint a Congolese national to lead the subsidiary. It added that nine Congolese members will join the board as part of a strategy to progressively “Congolize” the management structure. The subsidiary is currently led by Nigerian national Sampson Aneke, who is supported by Deputy Managing Director Gisèle Bondo, appointed in February 2024.
Elumelu said the bank plans to extend its branch network into several provinces across the country. “We believe in the potential of the DRC, especially its youth. The opening of new branches will help create jobs,” he said.
UBA has operated in the DRC since 2011. The bank currently maintains branches in Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Matadi. The group detailed in its 2024 Pillar Report that its 2024–2028 strategic plan targets a major expansion—growing from three to 21 branches by 2028 and increasing its ATM network. The subsidiary also aims to reach a deposit base of $1.8 billion over the same period.
UBA DRC significantly increased its contribution to group results in 2024. The bank reported a net profit of 21 billion naira, compared with 4.3 billion naira in 2023. This performance marks a 388% year-on-year increase, according to documents reviewed by Bankable. The results mainly reflect growth in operating income, which rose from 4.3 billion to 22.8 billion naira.
Elumelu said the group also plans to expand its involvement in infrastructure financing in the DRC. Through the Tony Elumelu Foundation, he reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting local entrepreneurship. Since the launch of the foundation’s programme, 350 young Congolese entrepreneurs have received financial support.
This article was initially published in French by Ronsard Luabeya
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
North Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has launched a new campaign to collect illegally held weapons and ammunition. The move comes as the region, which remains under a state of siege, faces persistent insecurity.
The provincial government said in a statement issued on November 12 that military governor Major-General Evariste Kakule Somo signed an order on October 29 authorizing the operation.
The order offers cash rewards to anyone who voluntarily hands in weapons: 100 dollars for an AK-47 or similar rifle, 200 dollars for a support weapon, and 1 dollar per round of ammunition. It also guarantees anonymity and immunity from prosecution for participants.
A commission that includes the Disarmament, Demobilization, Community Recovery and Stabilization Program (PDDRCS) has been set up to oversee the campaign. The provincial government said the effort is funded by the central government with possible support from technical and financial partners and individual donors.
The initiative follows a rise in violent crime in Beni and Butembo, where banks, homes and businesses have been repeatedly targeted by armed groups. Civil society groups have urged authorities to tighten controls on the movement of weapons in the province.
Similar programs have been carried out in the past. Between 2008 and 2011, the NGO Peace and Reconciliation (PAREC) ran a weapons-collection campaign across several provinces after waves of violence. In North Kivu, PAREC sought to collect 30,000 weapons and had recovered about 9,347 by October 2010, according to local media. By July 2011, it had handed over more than 7,545 weapons and 54 tons of ammunition to military experts. In Kinshasa, more than 11,000 illegally held weapons were recovered in 2009, Le Figaro reported.
Timothée Manoke