Mbororo cattle herders Photo Teseum

 The delegation dispatched Monday 23 July to the Dungu area to launch the Mbororo identification operation is short on resources and faces formidable challenges in its efforts to conduct its mission.

 Members of local civil society say the delegation is understaffed, considering the scale of the mission. The team lacks the logistical and financial resources required to reach the Mbororo nomad herders and their herds which are scattered across the region’s vast savannah area.

 The 10-man delegation comprising military and police staff as well as specialized DGM and ANR officials is supposed to be supported by territorial authorities, local chiefs and civil society. The mission, initiated by the provincial authorities, aims to secure the ongoing electoral process.

 Dungu civil society however stated on Sunday 29 July that the available resources and timeline provided fall short of the what is needed for the conduct of the (15-day) mission. Yet, local authorities say the Mbororo are believed to be occupying 16 of the 24 settlements found in the Wando chiefdom.

Dungu Civil Society President, Jacques Wami’s advice to relevant authorities is to comply with MONUSCO-backed measures established by the Mbororo Commission from 2014 to bring a lasting solution to the problem which presents an ongoing threat to the population.

 “The mission should be provided with commensurate logistical and financial resources.” “Timing is also an issue, added to the matter of the number of people needed to accomplish this task.” Unfortunately, we are surprised to see that no clear parameters have been established”, Jacques Wami lamented.

The purpose of the Mbororo identification mission is to provide the Congolese government with an exact count of the number of herders, their dependents and herds. The operation is also expected to mark the beginning of their confinement to target sites, specifically to avoid damage to farm produce and water pollution.

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