DR Congo festival for peace called off for security reasons
The Amani Festival — which attracts international and Congolese musicians and whose name means "peace" in Swahili — was due to hold its 10th annual event in the city of Goma from Thursday to Sunday.
Congolese festival-goers cheer and dance during the Amani Festival on February 10, 2018 in Goma. This year's edition has been called off because of security reasons. (AFP)
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GOMA - An international festival promoting peace that was due to take place in violence-racked eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been called off for security reasons, organisers said on Thursday.
The Amani Festival — which attracts international and Congolese musicians and whose name means "peace" in Swahili — was due to hold its 10th annual event in the city of Goma from Thursday to Sunday.
Security forces in the DRC have since 2021 been battling the M23, a largely Tutsi militia that has seized large swathes of territory in the country's east.
Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, is virtually surrounded by the armed rebellion.
A ceasefire between the warring parties was signed in August but violations have been reported in recent weeks.
Festival organisers said in a statement the music and dance event, which draws tens of thousands of people, would not go ahead this year.
Goma's mayor had already declared this week that the festival was "not authorised" for "security reasons".
Expressing regret, organisers said the festival was an economic boost for the city and helped with social cohesion and managing trauma.
French-Guinean rapper Black M and Congolese rumba star Ferre Gola were due to perform at the festival, which had already been postponed from February.