Bunia-Kasenyi road rehabilitated by Monuc and a German NGO

22 Dec 2008

Bunia-Kasenyi road rehabilitated by Monuc and a German NGO

14 jan. 04 | Yulu Kabamba

Thirty vehicles covered, Tuesday 13 January, the 48 Km-road linking Bunia to Kasenyi, to mark the official inauguration of the rehabilitated road within the framework of a partnership between MONUC and ?Agro Action Allemande?, a German Non Governmental organization.

In Kasenyi, along lake Albert, in a ceremony attended by about 15,000 people, the Head of MONUC office in Bunia, Mrs. Dominique AitOuyahia-McAdams, announced that MONUC would organize two convoys on a weekly basis between the two towns for the road users.

After stressing « the strategic importance of the road and its impact on the populations? well-being», Mrs. McAdams highlighted the need for the Ituri armed groups to definitely stop harassing the population.

« The armed groups elements operating in the area should really come to their senses and turn towards the future, their disarmament and reintegration into social life. They should stop harassing the population and put an end to the racket mechanisms created by some people», he further said.

In the same breadth, Mrs. Pétronille Vaweka, President of the Ituri Interim Special Assembly, extended her best wishes to the Kasenyi population for ?a peaceful 2004 year», and appealed to those « ransoming the road users to stop».

This road would facilitate the supply of Bunia and the resumption of exchange of goods that is essential for the development of the town and the creation of jobs. It will also facilitate trade between the different communities, notably the Hemas and the Lendus and therefore contribute to the Ituri reconciliation process.

The rehabilitation is the result of a partnership between MONUC and the German ?Agro Action Allemande? NGO. The military Engineer of the Ituri Brigade, essentially comprised of the Nepalese, Indonesians and Uruguayan contingents deployed in the region, carried out the bulk of the work with bulldozers and various building materials.
For its part, AAA coordinated the work of over 250 road-menders; part of this team will be redeployed on various road axes to ensure the long-term maintenance. AAA further distributed over 25,000 kits containing non-food stuff, canvass sheet and hoes to facilitate the return of the Ituri displaced the sign of which is already visible.

Moreover, MONUC and AAA engineers continue working on the Kasenyi-Tchomia 9 km-long road.