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Beni's Moment in Congo: A Collective Ownership of Destiny

Raphael Okitafumba Lokola*

A proverb says, ‘no news is good news.’ This proverb intends to reassure or console a person or a group of persons who might otherwise be very worried when there is a delay in the information they expect. However, this proverb involves the danger of giving evil news free rein in the public square since the dissemination of good news occurs in silent mode. My article counterbalances this tendency by highlighting and bringing to broader international attention a significant moment in Beni’s and the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s history. My argument will proceed in three steps. First, to perceive and understand what happened on the 2018 elections day in Beni, I consider the political background and the security situation before that long-awaited moment. Next, I give a brief account of what happened that I call here ‘Beni’s moment.’ Last, I reflect on the ethical implications of the mobilization of Beni’s population on election day.