Kinshasa has extended military rule in two war stricken provinces of Ituri and North Kivu.
According to details, on Friday, the draft ordinance law authorizing the extension of the state of siege was adopted by the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This, follows a presentation by the Minister of State, Minister of Justice Rose Mutombo during the 86th meeting of the Council of Ministers held Friday, February 10, 2023 by videoconference presided over by President Félix Tshisekedi.
Patrick Muyaya, spokesman of the government said the 15-days extension will come into force from February 16 of the current year.
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The extension according to Muyaya will allow the armed forces to consolidate the achievements of previous operations and to continue actions with a view to restoring peace and security in the eastern part of the country.
This new extension of the state of siege comes again in a context of tensions between Kinshasa and Kigali. Kinshasa accuses the Kigali regime of supporting the M23 rebels at the root of the insecurity in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, allegations that Kigali rejects as a whole considering the conflict with the M23 a Congolese affair.
The issue was at the center of a summit of East African states in Bujumbura. At the end of the meeting, the heads of state of several Central and East African countries called on Saturday for an “immediate ceasefire by all parties” and a withdrawal of all armed groups, “including foreigners” in eastern DRC.
For Kinshasa, compliance with the resolutions of the final Luanda communiqué must be respected by all stakeholders.
