Merchants in Mbuji-Mayi Exposed to Foul Odors Along Boulevard Laurent-Désiré Kabila

Traders in Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of Congo, are enduring unbearable conditions due to foul odors emanating from the central prison. Merchants operating along Boulevard Laurent-Désiré Kabila, between the BELTEXO store and ACP Avenue, claim the stench is suffocating and originates from the prison's completely saturated septic tanks.

This sanitation crisis is particularly alarming as the Kasaï-Oriental province remains on high alert for Ebola virus outbreaks. "We work here every day. But since the tanks filled up, the smell suffocates us. We breathe fecal matter. This is not normal, especially with Ebola still circulating," one merchant stated. Shop and store owners are denouncing a major health risk, asserting that the prison's septic tanks have not been serviced in a long time, leading to overflow that contaminates the air.

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We work here every day. But since the tanks filled up, the smell suffocates us. We breathe fecal matter. This is not normal, especially with Ebola still circulating.

"We ask the authorities to intervene. We cannot continue to work in these conditions. Customers are fleeing, and we are falling ill too," said a saleswoman. Internal sources indicate the septic tanks are at total capacity due to a lack of regular emptying. In the meantime, the merchants on Boulevard Mzee Laurent-Désiré Kabila continue their work in a difficult environment, hoping for intervention from the urban authorities.

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We ask the authorities to intervene. We cannot continue to work in these conditions. Customers are fleeing, and we are falling ill too.