DRC: Félix Tshisekedi will militarise the decentralised administrations of Ituri and North Kivu from next Thursday

On Friday 30 April, the Congolese authorities announced a state of siege in the sensitive provinces of Ituri and North Kivu. The aim is to combat insecurity in these localities, which are rich in mineral resources.

From Thursday 6 May 2021, the decentralised administrations of the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu in the DRC will be militarised. The announcement was made on Monday 3 May by Tharsice Kasongo Mwema, spokesperson for the President of the Republic, Félix Tshisekedi.

« To deal with the situation during the state of siege, the civil authorities, the provincial governments of Ituri and North Kivu and the entities of these provinces will be replaced by officers of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo or the national police, » the official said on Congolese television.

On Friday 30 April, the Congolese government had announced the establishment of a state of siege in this sensitive region of the country, to fight against insecurity. For several decades, this area rich in mineral resources has been the scene of repeated massacres of civilians and attacks against the armed forces, perpetrated by armed groups.

Despite various attempts by the local authorities in collaboration with Monusco, the atrocities in eastern DRC, which had already been marked by the two Congo wars (1996-1997, 1998-2003), have never ended and have increased with the arrival of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) group, now classified as a terrorist organisation by the USA.

« I invite every Congolese to a total mobilization to stand up with our armed forces deployed to secure our territory, » said Felix Tshisekedi in a speech on Monday.