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Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) puts efforts in addressing a cholera outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The UPDF, part of the East African Regional Force (EACRF), joined forces with the local population to combat the disease. They focused on reestablishing safe piped water in the Tshengerero Cell to halt the spread of the waterborne disease.

In the effort to combat the cholera outbreak disease, the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) fighting as part of the East African Regional Force (EACRF) to maintain peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) joined the local population.

In the region of Rutshuru, the sickness has been reported in Mabenga and Kiwanja. Thus, reestablishing safe piped water in Tshengerero Cell has been one of the solutions to stop the waterborne disease’s rabid expansion.

A 400-meter-long plastic water pipeline was converted into a metallic pipe with the help of the UPDF Contingent water engineering team in Bunagana town after it had been destroyed by local scrap dealers. The project will bring clean water to Tshengerero Center and the neighboring communities in the Jomba Group Sub- County, including Mukingo, Cheya, Rubona, and Kibindi, where the local leadership has so far reported cholera epidemics.

The UPDF contingent commander, Col. Michael Walaka Hyeroba, stated that the lack of access to clean water and proper sanitation is the root cause of the water-borne epidemics because the community resorted to using tainted water and food along with improper fecal waste disposal, which may be the primary cause of the infectious disease in some areas of Mabenga and Rutshuru.

“We cannot say that we are in DRC to provide peace and security to the people of Rutshuru territory when people lack water as one of the basic needs of life. It’s therefore critical that we had to ensure that the community has access to adequate, clean and safe water to enable good sanitation as soon as possible to curtail the spread of Cholera,” he explained.

The approach is consistent with the war against cholera, which is currently Uganda’s Contingent enemy, according to Maj James Mukwhana, the deputy commanding Officer of the UPDF 27th Battalion located in Tshengerero. The prior water infrastructure was established by KOGA, a community-based organization, and provided clean, sufficient water to over 1000 people before violence broke out in the region in 2021, according to Sejumba Kamara, the area’s local chief. However, metal scrap traders destroyed the metallic water pipes and other buildings, denying thousands of people access to enough clean water while the dreaded Cholera virus posed a threat.

“We thank UPDF for their quick and timely response to the community. This time, we shall protect the water pipes to ensure that no one tampers with the facility including its accessories,” said Chef Kamara, a resident.

The cholera epidemic was registered in some areas of Mabenga and Kiwanja as reported by Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF) and the Red Cross Society in June 2023.

Since the illness has already claimed 13 lives between June 28 and July 3, these organizations responded by establishing management camps in Kiwanja and Rutshuru that included a community sensitization program to stop the spread of the disease.