In Kinshasa, after severe flooding, the war against "anarchic construction"

Following severe flooding that left dozens dead in the overcrowded megalopolis in early April, Congolese authorities began a campaign to demolish unplanned buildings on the banks of the Congo River, where the death toll is often high after each deluge that hits this vast equatorial country.

"Authorities, have pity on us, why are you treating us like this?" Passy implores in vain.

The provincial Minister of Infrastructure and Public Works traveled to oversee the demolition operation in Ngaliema, a district in the northwest of the city of some 17 million inhabitants, affected by the recent floods.

The Passy house is one of fifteen plots of land condemned by the authorities. It's a drop in the ocean, however, compared to the vast slums sprawling on the outskirts of Kinshasa.

"You condemn the state by saying it's not acting. Now we want to act," Minister Alain Tshilungu retorted to the press. The day before, the City of Kinshasa announced the effective start of the operation announced last November.

The excavator then attacks an illegally constructed building on the edge of a river.

"Not much left"

The family living there rushes out. A mother, her young son, and her two little girls huddle together, haggard, in front of a small pile of personal belongings saved from the demolition and scattered on the floor.

The young woman said she "does not have the strength" to comment on the authorities' decision.

After about ten blows, the walls gave way and the building collapsed under a thick cloud of dust. A frightened dog escaped from the rubble.

Shortly after, local residents invaded the premises and looted everything they could: doors, windows, sinks and even toilet bowls.

Augustin Masudi, a resident of the building, watches the spectacle with tears in his eyes. The father of six managed to salvage a mattress, a freezer, and a few belongings from the place where he had lived for three years.

"We don't have much left, everything has been looted. The authorities should give us a week or two's notice," he laments, his voice tight.

Dady Kasongo, another victim of the operation, appears paralyzed behind his dark glasses. He invested "thousands of dollars" in materials to build his house, which was demolished before his eyes before the work was even completed.

According to him, the plots have been "registered properly" with state services and he hopes to be able to obtain compensation.

But this fight is unlikely to succeed. "What we are doing is not a malicious demolition, but rather a reclamation of the state's public rights," asserts Minister Tshilungu, who points out that river banks and beds are prohibited areas for construction.

In a country ranked among the poorest in the world and plagued by widespread corruption, many homeowners have received "fraudulent building permits," according to local authorities.

Demolition operations have been taking place in Kinshasa for decades, without managing to resolve either the problem of urban congestion or the lack of infrastructure adapted to the strong population growth.

According to experts, climate change is increasing extreme weather events in Africa, which could affect up to 118 million Africans by 2030.