KALABA RED FLAGS CONGO D£ATHS
…as d£ath toll rises close to 10,000 according to official reports
04.03.25
Citizens First President Harry Kabala is concerned at the fact that the number of d£aths of innocent people and combatants keeps increasing in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kalaba has since reiterated his calls for SADC, the UN and other regional leaders to step up efforts to curb the conflict that has already sucked in some neighbouring countries unwittingly.
“In the age of diplomacy we shouldn’t have thousands of people dying daily when the Congo conflict that has been raging for decades can be slowed down or even ended with concerted efforts from regional leaders including the leadership of Zambia which shares a large border with Congo,” said Kalaba.
Trade volumes between Zambia and Congo are bound to reduce drastically as the conflict between the government’s forces of President Felix Tshisekedi and the Rwanda backed M23 rebels continue to battle said Kalaba.
“Official reports places the number of d£ad people at about 8,500 people since the conflict flared up in January,” said Kalaba, “that means almost 300 people die monthly in Congo including women and children which I think is criminal.”
At the centre of the conflict concentrated around eastern Congo on the border with Rwanda is the desire for the control of the rich mineral resource of the country, although the M23 rebels state that they are seeking to protect the minority Tutsi’s in that area that are also found in Rwanda where President Paul Kagame himself is Tutsi.
Uganda and Burundi are already on the fringes of the conflict with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni already having deployed huge swath of soldiers on the borders with Congo while South Africa has already lost 15 peace keeping soldiers on the battle front.
“Zambia shares a border stretching over 1,900kms with Congo so we must take a special interest in working together with regional bodies to end this long worn conflict, save lives and enhance trade,” said Kalaba.
In the past, Zambia has been home to thousands of Congolese refugees displaced during the w@r though some have either returned home or sought refuge in other neighbouring countries.
Congo the richest country in Africa in terms of minerals has not known peace for decades and has also been a typical target of military c0ups.
Kalaba, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs said the Congolese people are fatigued and traumatised with the wars and deserve peace at this point with the help of countries like Zambia through regional bodies such as SADC.