Following the decision taken last June by the leaders of the member states of the East African Community (EAC) to set up a regional force to combat the armed groups present in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya deployed its troops in this country on Monday, September 26.
Burundian troops have been present there since mid-August. Tanzania and South Sudan are also expected to participate in this regional force.
For more than three months, the M23 rebel movement has controlled the town of Bunagana, a village in the territory of Rutshuru, in the province of North Kivu, in eastern DRC. It is a strategic locality on the border with Uganda. Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of supporting this group militarily, but Kigali still denies it.
Within civil society, in this eastern part of the country, voices are raised against the inaction of the Kinshasa authorities and the armed forces to recover this locality. On Monday, a dead city day was observed in Goma (capital of the province of North Kivu), at the initiative of the Lucha movement, to demand the release of Bunagana.
In another city, Bukavu (South Kivu province), the inhabitants are also invited to observe a dead city day this Tuesday, September 27 for the same cause of chasing the M23 which would work to make the population suffer under its control. .
The population is also calling for the lifting of the state of siege established in May 2021 by President Félix Tshisekedi to put an end to insecurity in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri. According to her, this exceptional measure does not bring the expected results, insofar as armed groups continue to kill citizens.
By OMA Newsletter N° 873 of 09/27/2022
Article published under the direction of Dr. Najib Kettani
The OMA, NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
For the development of cultural exchanges
Valuing human potential
The promotion and consolidation of Africa’s development, and
Inter-African integration
