Insecurity persists in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), particularly in North Kivu where the Islamic Armed Forces of the East (ADF) are stepping up deadly attacks. But today, it is the M23 supported by the Rwandan army that worries the Congolese government.
During the 100th meeting of the Council of Ministers chaired by Félix Tshisekedi, Jean-Pierre Bemba, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, announced that the armed forces of the DRC are on alert against the terrorists of the M23 who continue their destabilization action in North Kivu. The Congolese government claims to have seen reinforcements of Rwandan military troops coming from the Mwaru border post.
This situation of insecurity is not new in the DRC, where people are used to living under the threat of armed groups and militias. The recent deployments of the armed forces in areas at risk, particularly in the Maluku region, in Kinshasa, in the province of Kwango, Mai-Ndombe and recently in Kongo-Central, are not enough to stem this terrorist threat.
Faced with this complex situation, the Congolese government wants to be reassuring and recalls its commitment to restore peace and the authority of the State in all parts of the country plagued by insecurity. But these desires seem insufficient in the face of the reality on the ground, where armed groups continue their action of destabilization and where the populations are abandoned to their fate.
It is in this difficult context that the international community recently organized an extraordinary meeting of the international conference on the Great Lakes region to discuss security in the DRC and Sudan, in order to find concrete solutions to these critical situations.
Despite these efforts, instability still reigns in the DRC, and the population continues to pay a heavy price. Yet the DRC has significant economic potential, and foreign investment is beginning to grow, as evidenced by Africa Global Logistics’ recent $63 million investment to expand its value-added warehouse.
It is therefore crucial that the Congolese authorities and the international community mobilize to put an end to this violence and provide real support to the populations who suffer from this chronic insecurity.