The construction of Banana's deep-water port is a matter of sovereignty

The chief advisor of the Head of State in charge of infrastructures, David Mukeba, on a monitoring and control mission of work at Kongo Central, ensured Saturday in Matadi, after an interview with the vice governor of this province, Justin Luemba Makoso, of the attachment of the President of the Republic Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo to the problem of the construction of the deep-water port of Banana which is a question of sovereignty.

"We told the provincial authority that before leaving Kinshasa, we had an exchange with the President of the Republic who specifically asked us to convey to the sons and daughters of Ne Kongo his special attachment to the problem of the construction of the deep-water port is a matter of sovereignty", senior advisor David Mukeba said.

The latter also noted the problem of the construction of the road-rail bridge that will be thrown on the Congo River as required by international reports, before reaffirming however that "the deep-sea port of Banana comes first," emphasizing that "The President of the Republic hammered it".

"The President of the Republic has instructed us to convey to the people of Kongo Central that as it is a question of sovereignty, he cannot do without it," said the chief adviser of the Head of State in charge of infrastructures, which said he had, before leaving the capital, talks with the committee responsible for drafting the memorandum of agreement for the start of work.

The delegation of the Presidency of the Republic is staying in Kongo Central as part of a mission to monitor and control the work, not only in the context of the emergency program of the 100 days of the Head of State, but also the continuity of the work done before with the past regime and which are being executed. She was also to have a meeting in Matadi with the services concerned wi0th infrastructure works.

On June 21, the population and Ne Kongo deputies demonstrated in the city of Matadi to demand the construction of the port of Banana before the Kinshasa-Brazzaville road-rail bridge project. Several officials took part in this event organized by the citizens movements including Lucha, Tshieto and Filimbi based in Kongo Central. These include, among others, the President of the Provincial Assembly, members of the bureau of this deliberative body and national and provincial deputies.

The demonstrators had submitted their memorandum to the temporary governor, Justin Luamba Makoso, in which they asked that the DRC could have its deep water port like Congo / Brazzaville, Angola, Gabon, etc., before the construction of this highway bridge rail.

They reminded the national and international opinion that if the project supported by the African Development Bank (ADB) was to be realized, before the construction of the deep-sea port of Banana, financial regimes such as the General Directorate of Taxes ( DGI), the Directorate of Administrative, State and the General Directorate of Customs and Excise (DGDA), the General Revenue Bureau of Kongo Central (DGR / KC) such as the Ports and Transport Trade Corporation (SCPT), the Office multimodal freight management (OGEFREM), the Congolese Office of Control (OCC), the Congolese Maritime Lines (LMC), the Seaway Company (CVM) gravitating around the international ports of Boma and Matadi, could disappear with the the loss of the direct and indirect jobs of many compatriots can lead to serious social unrest.

(CKS/Yes)