"Our fields containing various crops including rice, corn, manioc, and others along the banks of the Congo River and the Ulindu River near the Kowe, Pembeliba, Molombela, and Elila villages have been destroyed by the floodwaters that have left their beds, forcing us to abandon our houses and seek refuge far in the forest," a farmer reported.
However, many residents lament this destruction of their only source of income for their children's education and also rice and manioc fields, being the most sought-after food in the area.
The flooding of the Congo River's waters is the cause of the decline in agricultural production in this northern part of the Maniema Province, which is crossed by several watercourses that overflow their banks during periods of heavy rains.
Cathy Ibandula