2023-07-14: The military governor of North Kivu denounces the presence of M23 rebels in Goma
On the sidelines of the technical consultative meeting to find solutions to the conflicts between Kinshasa and the M23 rebel movement, Lieutenant General Ndima Kongba Constant, military governor of North Kivu, strongly criticized the maneuvers and tricks used by the rebels , which benefit from the support of Kigali.
During his speech, the head of the provincial executive of North Kivu underlined the worrying security situation in the territories of Masisi, Nyiragongo and Rutshuru. Despite the announcement of a ceasefire by the Heads of State of the East African Community and the African Union, the city of Goma remains asphyxiated and surrounded by M23 maneuvers.
“The situation has become more complex than before. On the humanitarian level, the number of internally displaced persons has increased from 200,000 to more than 2,300,000 people forced to wander due to the violation of the ceasefire by the M23. In addition, thousands of students have had to leave school. From a security point of view, the city of Goma is still asphyxiated and surrounded by the enemy,” said Lieutenant General Ndima Kongba Constant.
The military governor also praised the efforts of the FARDC-UPDF coalition in the northern part of the province, with in particular the neutralization of three leaders of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the territory of Beni. However, he denounced the repeated attacks by local armed groups, the Mai-Mai, who are currently considered to support the ADF.
In addition, Lieutenant General Ndima Kongba Constant deplored the reoccupation of several positions by the M23 rebels in the chiefdom of Bwito, in Rutshuru territory, as well as in the southeastern part of Masisi territory. These terrorists cause considerable material damage, burning down homes and property belonging to the peaceful population of the region.
The situation in North Kivu therefore remains tense, with an increase in the number of displaced people and persistent insecurity caused by armed groups. The authorities continue to fight against this violence, but it seems that lasting solutions have yet to be found to restore peace and stability in the region