The deterioration of the security situation in the province of North Kivu marked by the fall of the strategic city of Kanyabayonga in the hands of the M23 rebels supported by Kigali was at the center of the meeting of the Higher Defense Council chaired this Saturday, June 29 at the Cité de l’Union Africaine by Félix Tshisekedi. This situation allows the rebellion to strengthen its influence in the province of North Kivu.
According to the minutes of the meeting given by government spokesman Patrick Muyaya, and without naming them, measures were proposed to the head of state by the military authorities to retake as quickly as possible the various areas occupied by the M23 rebels.
“The President of the Republic called this meeting of the extended High Council of Defense to take stock of the general situation. Obviously we talked about the operational situation of the country in general in all three defense zones but there was a particular emphasis on the events of Kanyabayonga,” declared the government spokesperson.
And to continue:
“After nearly 3 hours of discussions and an overview with the various military authorities, perspectives and measures were proposed to the President of the Republic so that the armed forces of the DRC can very quickly restore order in this part of the country and take back certain other localities which were occupied by the Rwandan forces because that is what it is about.
At the same time, tribute was paid to the FARDC who sacrifice themselves for the defense of the integrity of the national territory. Also, a call for unity was launched to better confront this aggression.
“It is therefore important that in this context that the Congolese are wary of everything they read on social networks so as not to give themselves over to the enemy’s game, you know that it is also on this ground that the game is played to demobilize the Congolese but also to affect the morale of our valiant soldiers who are engaged on the front so here we reiterate the call of the President of the Republic to continue to trust the FARDC for which the government of the Republic as well as himself will make everything available so that order can be restored and very quickly”, indicated the government spokesperson.
On the ground, this situation has once again caused the displacement of civilian populations. After Kanyabayonga on Friday, two other major towns in the south of Lubero (North Kivu) came under the control of the M23 rebels this Saturday, June 29. These are Kayna and Kirumba. The latter is the main commercial center in the south of Lubero.
According to ACTUALITE.CD sources in the area, rebels from the Luofu axis and Kanyabayonga joined forces Saturday morning in Kayna before continuing their journey to Kirumba, the “entity they took without fighting” around 3 p.m. local time. On the spot, a journalist informed ACTUALITE.CD that the rebels seized the important military camp of Kasando where they allegedly took significant ammunition abandoned by the army.
Clement MUAMBA
