The provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, located respectively to the east and north-east of the Republic of Congo (DRC), will now have military governors at their head, notably Lieutenant-General Luboya Nkashama for the first and Lieutenant-General Ndima Konguba for the second.
These names were revealed in two orders of President Felix Tshisekedi, read Tuesday, May 4 on national television. These appointments follow the announcement by the Head of State on April 30 of the decision to declare a state of siege in these two provinces “in view of the gravity of the situation” of insecurity prevailing there.
North Kivu and Ituri face growing insecurity due to the presence of several armed groups that attack civilian populations almost daily, with dozens of deaths on display.
“No Congolese worthy of the name should remain indifferent (…) Eastern DRC has become the point of implosion of rebel movements and armed groups, the entry point for negative foreign forces, which sow desolation there. », Lamented Tshisekedi during a televised address on May 3.
The state of siege will last a month, and goes into effect on Thursday, May 6. For a better management of the provinces concerned, during this particular period, the current administrators will be suspended to make way for the military administrators, according to the remarks of the president.
“To deal with the situation during the state of siege, the civilian authorities of the provincial governments of Ituri and North Kivu, those of the decentralized and deconcentrated entities of the said provinces, will be replaced by officers of the armed forces of the DRC and / or the Congolese National Police (PNC) designated for this purpose, ”said the Congolese leader.
Some hope that this military operation will bring peace to the east of the country, known by the violence inflicted on the populations by armed groups. However, some political and civil society actors fear that the military will take this opportunity to make mistakes.
At the end of one month, an assessment will be made by Parliament, which will decide whether or not to renew the state of siege.
By OMA Newsletter N ° 257 of 05/05/2021
OMA, an NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
For the development of cultural exchanges
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Keywords: State of siege, Appointment of military governors, North Kivu, Ituri, Luboya Nkashama, Ndima Konguba
Country: Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC
Geographical position: Central Africa
