The news from North Kivu is not very reassuring. Our colleagues from the UN radio report through their reliable sources that the M23 rebels have succeeded in seizing three villages in the Bashali Mukoto group. The fighting was bloody, and the local armed groups were unable to resist the offensive of the terrorists, supported by Rwanda. This information was confirmed by civil society sources in Masisi territory. The villages of Kasura, Butale and Lwama fell into enemy hands after heavy fighting that lasted almost all night, our sources add.
The security situation in the region is therefore very unstable and risks reviving old ethnic tensions, thus pushing the population to flee to other villages in the hope of finding refuge and sheltering themselves from any danger. The Congolese government has not yet reacted to this situation which risks plunging the whole region into total insecurity.
In such a context, the public speech of President Joseph Kabila is eagerly awaited by the Congolese. They hope that the president will make strong announcements to fight against growing insecurity and guarantee the safety of the civilian population. According to some indiscretions, the head of state would make an important announcement on security in the coming days, but no confirmation has been given so far.
Indeed, this situation is very worrying and requires a rapid and firm reaction from the Congolese authorities. Troop deployments in the region remain an important solution to try to stop the advance of the M23 terrorists. But this cannot be enough to settle this situation definitively. The authorities must also involve local communities in this struggle, to avoid ethnic conflicts and ensure a return to a more normal situation.
In short, the security situation in North Kivu is extremely worrying. Authorities must act quickly to restore order and security in the region