Funeral rites in Ituri: Professor Bagamba Arali explains the balance between ancestral traditions and modern practices

In several communities in Ituri, the family home once gathered relatives and neighbours around the deceased, with vigils, songs, elders’ words and ceremonies before burial. More frequent use of morgues has changed these practices, as the body no longer necessarily remains at home until the funeral. The programme considers whether traditional funeral rites have disappeared, changed or adapted to present-day realities. Professor Bagamba Arali, a notable from Ituri, is invited to discuss the subject.