The Democratic Republic of Congo’s presidency has ordered military and police officers to take over civil authorities in two regions that have been declared under a “state of siege”.
In an address broadcast on public television on Monday, President Felix Tshisekedi said he had heard the cries of distress of the people, in these provinces ravaged by barbarity”.
His spokesman Tharsice Kasongo Mwema confirmed that the two provinces would be declared under siege for 30 days starting on Thursday, May 6 adding that the action of the civil jurisdictions will be substituted by those of military jurisdictions” until peace is reestablished.
North-Kivu and Ituri which are eastern provinces where dozens of armed groups operate and civilians have been subject to horrifying massacres have been declared under siege on Friday.
Under the DRC’s constitution, the president can declare a state of either siege or emergency “if severe circumstances immediately threaten the independence or integrity of the national territory.
The announcement of a state of siege has been welcomed by North-Kivu governor Carly Kasivita, who said he had repeatedly urged a “national mobilisation” to deal with attacks in the province’s Beni region.
However, some observers have expressed alarm at the idea of replacing civil authorities with military ones, warning it could lead to abuses of power.
Mineral-rich North and South-Kivu, which lie along the DRC’s eastern borders with Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, descended into violence during the country’s two wars between 1996 and 2003, and have never regained stability.
Discover more from LN247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
