ITURI: STANDARD RECORD OF WEAPONS COLLECTION UNDER THE P-DDRCS VALIDATED WITH AMENDMENTS
Bunia, Ituri – September 3, 2025. The standard record of weapons collection (procès-verbal, PV) for the National Program for Disarmament, Demobilization, Community Recovery and Stabilization (P-DDRCS) was officially validated on Wednesday following a technical workshop held at the P-DDRCS provincial coordination office in Bunia.
The PV serves as a reference document designed to ensure security, transparency, and traceability of all weapons collected. It aligns with both international DDR standards and the national legal framework, providing an essential safeguard against past irregularities in weapons management. The initiative is expected to help strengthen trust between ex-combatants, communities, and state institutions, while contributing to lasting stabilization in the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Launching the workshop, Professor Jean de Dieu Désiré Ntanga Ntita, National Coordinator of the P-DDRCS, underlined the importance of harmonized tools in the disarmament process: “The goal is to bring all stakeholders together to review the documentation and establish standard instruments. These tools will ensure a reliable and traceable collection of weapons, correcting the mistakes of the past for greater efficiency,” he said. The workshop brought together P-DDRCS staff, representatives of defense and security services, as well as international partners engaged in DDR and stabilization efforts.
As part of his mission in Ituri, Professor Ntita and his delegation also visited community reintegration projects in Tsere and Tchomia. In Tsere, nearly 50 ex-combatants are receiving integrated support to rebuild their livelihoods, while in Tchomia, a fish farming project is underway on Lake Albert, offering sustainable economic opportunities to former fighters and local communities alike.
Speaking directly to armed groups still active in the region, the National Coordinator delivered a clear message of peace: “Ituri, through its resilience, has shown itself to be a land of peace. The time has come for everyone to take responsibility. Peace is, above all, a state of mind.” With the validation of this standard weapons collection record, the P-DDRCS continues to consolidate its role as a cornerstone of peacebuilding and stabilization in the DRC.
P-DDRCS Communication Unit
