When Mercy is Also a Matter of Equity
If mercy is a feeling generated by compassion, a scale would be necessary, because it is also a matter of fairness, that is, treating a news item equally. And, in this case, people
For a whole month, all of Italy talked about the Bayesian, a 56-meter British sailboat that sank in Porticello, Sicily, with 22 people on board.
On Oct. 3, another water tragedy. But this time in a country that does not make headlines-the Democratic Republic of Congo-and with the sinking of a boat in Lake Kivu, off Goma, 30 km from Butembu. There were 278 passengers on the “Merveille de Dieu” (but perhaps, even more), which left from Minova, in the south, and headed for Goma. The vessel, overloaded with goods and people, practically capsized 700 meters from the coast.
It is not yet known how many are dead, but there is talk of at least a hundred dead and, amid general silence, bodies are being searched for.
This is not the first time this has happened; already in 2019 there was a similar shipwreck. The problem is that, partly because of the war and bad and dangerous roads, travel by land is increasingly difficult and boats like this one are also being overloaded with provisions.
Father Giovanni Piumatti, who has lived in those areas for 50 years, from Pinerolo denounces the indifference to this umpteenth tragedy: “The victims have gone to the bottom of the lake, but the truth will come out, though not thanks to media information that has unfortunately become less and less credible.” The reason, the missionary continues, is that “what is happening in Africa, and especially in Congo, should not attract the attention of the international community, because this is the way to proceed with the criminal exploitation of rich mineral deposits. Indeed, one cannot understand the reason for this inequality with respect to death.”
Following are statements from Goma by Rodrigue Bidubula, an habitant of spazio + spadoni
“At around 11 a.m. on Oct. 3, off the coast of Goma, as it approached the port of Kituku, almost 700 meters from docking, the boat Merdi from Minova, South Kivu, sank in the waters of Lake Kivu, with hundreds of people and cargo on board.
To date, the total toll has not yet been established and reliance is being placed on family testimonies to reconstruct the lists; experts report that the boat is 200 meters deep.
The port of Kituku in Goma, which supplies the city of Goma with food from Minova, like many others, does not have a lake traffic surveillance system.
This is the latest in a series of shipwrecks across the country in just six months. Incidents involving wooden boats, which are often ill-equipped and unsuitable for sailing on rivers and lakes, due to a lack of adequate infrastructure, strict regulations, crew training and life jackets, as well as adverse weather conditions.
But what just happened in Goma is also a consequence of the war, which caused the interruption of the Goma-Minova road. Since the occupation of the town of Shasha by the M23, the inhabitants of Minova have in fact had to cross Lake Kivu to reach Goma.
The population has sounded the alarm to the authorities, demanding the rebel-occupied roads be reopened so that they no longer have to take the risk of crossing Lake Kivu.
Families are inconsolable. Anguished, they are organizing their mourning despite not being able to trace their loved ones. Others spend entire days at the lakeshore hoping to see the bodies rise to the surface. They also deplore the laxity of the authorities in conducting a thorough underwater search for the victims.
In the face of this disaster, beyond some measures taken, the first lever should be to regulate transportation by strengthening infrastructure. In addition, investment should be made in an educational campaign, as well as training in first aid.
By strengthening regulations, raising public awareness and modernizing infrastructure, the country could greatly reduce the number of maritime accidents and provide safe conditions for passengers.”
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