Democratic Republic of the Congo: The African Development Bank is consulting civil society to assess the financial inclusion needs of forcibly displaced persons. | African Development Bank

On February 28, 2023, the African Development Bank held a consultative meeting with about twenty civil society organizations in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, to assess the financial inclusion needs of forcibly displaced persons in that country.

The meeting comes ahead of the pilot phase of the project to promote the private sector and financial inclusion of forcibly displaced persons (IDPs) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The primary aim of the consultation was to collect accurate information on displaced persons and to ensure that the project meets their needs. The African Development Bank is supporting the project with approximately $1.4 million.

In his remarks, Victorin Salifou, a digitization expert at the African Development Bank, said the project would provide technical assistance to support private sector development in areas affected by the forced displacement of Congolese citizens. “By promoting private investment in these areas, the project will help stabilize the socio-economic situation and improve the living conditions of the displaced populations.“ Salifou stressed.

The Director General of the National Fund for Promotion and Social Services, Alice Mirimo, praised the design of this project and urged Congolese civil society organizations to contribute to the development of the project.

She said the pilot phase would begin in Grand Kasaï province in the center of the DRC before expanding to other areas.

Civil society organizations participating in the workshop emphasized the importance of the project and expressed their support. Some also praised the participatory approach taken by the African Development Bank in implementing the project. They stressed the need to think about the financial inclusion of forcibly displaced persons, especially women, who urgently need funding and guidance to develop income-generating activities.

Civil society organizations also highlighted the health challenges of forcibly displaced persons and called for appropriate measures to address them. The issue of education for displaced children and youth was also raised.

“Despite the limited resources at their disposal, civil society organizations continue to provide assistance to forcibly displaced persons,said Milenge Mwenelwata, head of the Christian Mutual Aid Union, one of the Congolese civil society organizations supporting displaced people.

The civil society representatives provided vital perspectives on the issues, challenges and opportunities related to the project.

“The consultation provided a better understanding of the needs of forcibly displaced persons in the Democratic Republic of Congo and strengthened cooperation between the Bank and civil society organizations to better support forcibly displaced persons in the DRC.,” Salifou said.

Conflict and natural disasters forced the displacement of about 12 million people in sub-Saharan Africa by 2021, with the figure for the DRC approaching three million, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center.