The lifting of the state of siege in the province of Ituri: the conclusions of the round table in Kinshasa
The round table held in Kinshasa since Monday August 14 brought together political actors from the majority and the opposition in the province of Ituri. The objective of this meeting was to discuss the security situation in the region and to take decisions concerning the lifting of the state of siege which has been declared there.
Most of the province’s politicians have expressed dissatisfaction with the effectiveness of the state of siege in restoring peace. They insisted that it was time to lift this measure in order to explore other solutions to end the insecurity plaguing the region.
Among the proposals put forward, the reinforcement of the presence of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) was mentioned. Indeed, some FARDC positions had been stripped as part of the fight against the M23 armed group in North Kivu. The political actors believe that it is necessary to redeploy these forces to fight the armed groups in Ituri.
In addition, the issue of disarmament and demobilization of armed groups was raised. The politicians called for accelerating the disarmament program in order to put an end to the violence perpetrated by these armed groups in eastern DRC.
If the round table of Kinshasa made it possible to put forward these recommendations, certain political actors of the opposition criticized this meeting, considering it illegal. According to them, the lifting of the state of siege must be decided by the National Assembly, in accordance with the constitution.
It is important to underline that the security situation in Ituri had experienced a relative improvement in recent months, following the signing of a peace agreement between the armed groups last June. Many displaced persons had been able to return to their villages of origin, thanks to joint military operations and the presence of blue helmets from MONUSCO.
In conclusion, the Kinshasa round table recommended the lifting of the state of siege in the province of Ituri. The political actors called for the reinforcement of the security forces and the rapid implementation of the disarmament program. It now remains to be seen whether these recommendations will be implemented and whether they will restore lasting peace to the region