News in the DRC: the USA calls for the withdrawal of Rwandan forces from the province of North Kivu
U.S. Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lucy Tamlyn, met with Defense Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba on Tuesday, May 16 to discuss the security situation in North Kivu province. On this occasion, she reiterated her country’s position on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC, calling on the Rwandan armed forces to withdraw from Congolese territory.
The American diplomat insisted on the need to respect the Nairobi and Luanda agreements signed to put an end to armed conflicts in the region. In particular, it asked the M23 rebels to withdraw from the area indicated in the Luanda roadmap and the Rwandan armed forces to leave the country.
The tensions were already expressed during the last summit of the Regional Monitoring Mechanism of the Addis Ababa Framework Agreement which called for restraint, de-escalation and the continuation of dialogue between the DRC and Rwanda. The various leaders reiterated their attachment to the Luanda and Nairobi processes in order to encourage all parties to respect these agreements for a lasting peace in the region.
At the same time, the Congolese opposition has threatened to boycott the presidential elections scheduled for December 2023 if the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) does not guarantee the transparency of the electoral register, while the humanitarian situation in the country remains catastrophic, with many people displaced due to violence.
Some Kinshasa provincial deputies alerted the national assembly to the security situation in Maluku, while Laurent Batumona started a tour to raise awareness among the population of greater Bandundu and prepare for Felix Tshisekedi’s visit to Kwango province.
Finally, Congolese football continues to be talked about, with the dazzling performance of player Cedric Bakambu in Greece, as well as news of Congolese players playing abroad.
The DRC continues to make the news, in terms of security, politics and sport. Calls for peace and transparency in electoral processes remain valid, while the humanitarian situation in the country remains worrying