The recruitment of Congolese young men into the country’s military FARDC is faced with low turnup and a situation that is likely to derail Kinshasa government plans for a one million strong force which it claims would contain insecurity in the vast country.
Currently the recruitment process is said to be ongoing in Ituri (Orientale Province).
Only 200 candidates are said to have enrolled in three weeks. FARDC had anticipated about 1500 recruits from Ituri.
Local sources indicate that some eligible youths reportedly have refused to get recruited because of the poor living conditions of the Congolese military.
Other young potential candidates for recruitment also fear being sent directly to the war front in the Kivus where firepower from M23rebels is seen as unbearable.
The FARDC head of the delegation in charge of recruitment in Ituri, Col. Désiré Lobho noted that the purpose of this recruitment is not sending new recruits directly to the war front but rejuvenate the FARDC.
“The goal of this recruitment is to replace the military who have aged by young people who are recruited. These will not be sent to the front but the enrollment center in Kisangani, “said Colonel Désiré Lobho.
The head of the delegation of recruitment Kasongo (Maniema), Colonel Bushiri Heradi lamented the fact that young people who want to serve under the flag are intoxicated by “politicians in bad taste” that dissuades.
Since the beginning of August, the chief of General Staff of FARDC launched the operation of recruitment of young Congolese aged 18 to 25 years throughout the country.
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