MAHAGI INSTALLS LOCAL PEACE COORDINATION FRAMEWORK TO SUPPORT NATIONAL STABILIZATION EFFORTS
Mahagi, November 11, 2025 — The second day of the workshop on the formalization and installation of the Cadre de Concertation pour la Paix et Appui au P-DDRCS (CCPAP) concluded with the official launch of this strategic local body, marking a significant milestone in the territorial anchoring of the national peace and stabilization program.
Held at the Mahagi Peace Memorial Center (CECOPAM), the session brought together 87 participants, including 15 women, representing local authorities, community leaders, civil society, and technical partners. Facilitated by the Provincial Coordination of the P-DDRCS/Ituri, notably Mr. Nestor Balombo Tsheza and Mr. Fidèle Dramani Alio, the workshop focused on installing the CCPAP and strengthening the capacities of its newly appointed members.
The day began with a recap of the previous session, led by Mr. Innocent Mokili Abudu, Head of the P-DDRCS Antenna in Mahagi. This was followed by a dynamic question-and-answer session, and comprehensive training on the CCPAP’s mandate, structure, and operational modalities. Elections were held to designate members of five technical commissions, whose results were validated by consensus and formalized in an official report.
The highlight of the day was the solemn installation ceremony. After reading the report and the roll call of designated and statutory members, Mr. Balombo proceeded with the symbolic presentation of badges and work tools. In his keynote address, he emphasized the historical significance of the CCPAP for Mahagi, a territory rich in cultural and natural resources but affected by recurring intercommunal conflicts, particularly around access to Lake Albert, grazing lands, and administrative boundaries.
Established under Article 15 of the Presidential Ordinance, the CCPAP is now recognized as the operational arm and local heartbeat of the P-DDRCS. Its core missions include coordinating peace and reconciliation efforts, ensuring transparency and mutual accountability, mapping interventions to avoid duplication, harmonizing approaches, and producing strategic analyses and recommendations.
The CCPAP is also expected to serve as a permanent mediation platform, inclusive of traditional leaders, civil society, youth, women, farmers, fishermen, and herders. It will actively support the reintegration of individuals involved in violence and help identify priority needs for social cohesion and local development. The framework will explore innovative solutions to reinforce economic sovereignty, such as promoting the Congolese Franc over the Ugandan Shilling in cross-border trade.
In his closing remarks, the Territorial Administrator and newly appointed President of the CCPAP paid tribute to national and provincial authorities, reaffirmed his commitment to the program, and called on all members to become tireless artisans of peace. Quoting a local proverb “Bent wood straightens with the warmth of water and fire” he expressed hope that Mahagi, though wounded, could regain its balance through collective will and dialogue.
With the CCPAP now officially installed, Mahagi enters a new chapter of inclusive governance, community-driven stabilization, and alignment with the national vision of peace led by His Excellency President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo.
P-DDRCS Communication Unit
