Children of DR Congo: far from heaven

                                                Children of Congo

 This has been taken from Bukiringi village, district Ituri, Oriental province; the eastern part DR Congo. 

The image depicts lot of untold stories, their poverty, and their unhealthy and unhygienic life. Their size, their gesture including their look alike faces are telling that they are siblings. They all are most probably from the same parents. The small hut behind them is their small domicile, where they were born, and they will be brought up if the destiny and luck favor them.  Because, each and everyday is quite uncertain due to political and other security hazards, they have to flee anytime, any moment. There is no guarantee of peaceful life in this area, moreover; it is easy to guarantee of war, unrest, looting, abduction, rapes. People lead a life here which nobody wants; they want a peaceful life in spite of their severe poverty. But, besides poverty, war and unrest including above mentioned disasters are becoming part and parcel of their life. Children and women spend a life here, sometimes, more it’s more dangerous than any other place in the world. To me, they experience a bitter life that might not be worse in hell. 

 

            April, 2011

            Bukiringi, DR Congo

Humanitarian activities in DRC

a group of young generation charging their cellular phones in a camp
of Bangladeshi peacekeepers at KOMANDA in DR Congo. 

Preface

I am fortunate as I could involve myself with various types of activities for the betterment of the mass people of an African country. To reach the folks of DR Congo, I entitled myself with Bangladesh Army who are prominent and already been praised by their activities as peace builders in war-torn African countries. As a part of those teams I kept myself involved with numerous types of humanitarian activities in the remote areas of DR Congo. Of course I was not a fighter with arms moreover I fought to provide them a healthy and prosperous life so that they become able to lead a life with dignity. Credit goes to others as well with who I worked there tenure of three years contractual service. I saw it closely how they, the Bangladeshi casque blues, worked hard in an unsecured and undeveloped zone where life is always under a terrible threat. Though I was a civilian but worked there as a uniformed personal and my responsibility was to facilitate communication with the local in several languages. I tried my best to execute my job appropriately. Language is one of the vital elements for communication, and as our tasks were always with the local people I used to keep myself busy in almost all sorts of activities. Here I feel to mention a small portion of huge works we frequently executed in the soil of DR Congo.

Bunia: A vibrant city of Eastern Congo (an aerial view) 1

Bunia is a vibrant city of Ituri Province, DR Congo. I am privileged as I got many times the opportunity to travel the area by UN helicopter at the time of security reconnaissance in respect of militia activities, civil protection or sometimes just to introduce the area from bird’s eye view to several UN officials. My Contingent Commander was also an important part of this type of activities; and I had to accompany my commander as the part of my job. Contingent commander tried to point all the important places, FARDC camps, camps of militia, our COB (Company Operation Base) and TOB (Temporary Operation Base) from helicopter and explain the recent activities so that the visitors can be up to date or aware of our works and at the same time they would be briefed about the overall situation in our area of responsibility (AoR).

The Ethnic Conflict of Eastern Congo

The Eastern part of DR Congo is unrest for decades. This part of the country, particularly, Eturi province is most vulnerable area in the whole Congo in terms of ethnic clash, several armed groups activities in mineral rich zones, looting conducted by various bandits groups who are taking chances of the absence of proper law and security order, raping, killing, abducting, hijacking and so on. Though the overall quantity of crimes has been decreased in the last few years, but still it is quite alarming. From the humanitarian ground, the region is considered full of dangers, civilian are insecure, women and children are passing the toughest time as usually as their unshakeable fates. The normal life of civilian is also being hampered  and  collapsed because of different sort of attacks, killing, looting etc. They are forced to pay them not only money, even they have to hand over their domestic animals e.g. cow, goat or hens whatever they belong to. Besides, being humiliated is a common occurrence for the innocent and helpless Congolese.

Tour to Epulu: the largest rainforest of DRC

To Work for Building a Healthy Nation

The people of DR Congo always fight against a lot of obstacles. From the very beginning of their birth, they have to struggle just to survive. Poverty, ethnic conflicts, attacks by the various rebel groups, banditry, lack of medical support, hazardous transport condition, scarcity of potable water, absence of electricity and good governance all are part of their daily life. This picture of life is  a real projection of life of maximum Congolese except few who are from privileged background. 

A dreadful day with fight-whacked combatants

The troops, after an outrageous battle, came back to the barracks; we, on behalf of MONUSCO, went to evacuate the incapacitated soldiers for providing better treatment in level 2 hospital.

The fighting was in two groups, the regular armed force of DR Congo (FARDC) and The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) a Ugandan based rebel group active in mineral-rich eastern border area of DR Congo. The ADF had been formed in the year of 1996 comprised a group of fundamental Muslim secessionist in the Ruwenzori mountains area of western Uganda. This group was blamed to create a great havoc by blasting bombs at restaurants and markets in Kampala city in 1998. The Ugandan army attacked them several times and could make them weaker. To survive and protect themselves the rebel group progressed towards the frontier of DR Congo in 2004 and was hindering the security situation in the area. At present, they are accused of making a liaison with Somalia based rebel groups Al Shebab.

An FARDC soldier, at Mambasa, DRC