The lifting of the state of siege in Ituri: a round table to decide the security future of the province
A roundtable is currently being held in Kinshasa to discuss the lifting of the state of siege in Ituri, a province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) plagued by insecurity. Political actors from the majority and the opposition in the region met to discuss the effectiveness of this measure and the next steps to be taken to restore peace in the province.
Most political actors in Ituri consider that the state of siege has not met the expectations of the population in terms of restoring security. They therefore recommend lifting this measure at the end of the round table. However, they also propose to strengthen the presence of the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) in the region, by reassigning personnel to fight the armed groups that are rampant in the east of the country.
Moïse Alyegera, official of the political party Mouvement de Liberation du Congo (MLC), also deplores the slowness of the process of disarmament and demobilization of armed groups in eastern DRC. According to him, it is essential to accelerate this program in order to put an end to the violence perpetrated by these groups.
However, voices are raised against this round table, describing it as illegal and a waste of public funds. Luc Malembe, spokesperson for the opposition ECIDE political party, points out that according to the Constitution, only the National Assembly is empowered to lift the state of siege.
Despite these political debates, the security situation in Ituri has improved relatively in recent months, in particular thanks to the signing of a peace agreement between the armed groups in the region last June. In addition, many displaced persons have been able to return to their villages of origin, testifying to a certain calm in the region.
Much remains to be done to ensure a lasting peace in Ituri, but this roundtable offers an important opportunity to decide on the measures to be taken to guarantee the security and development of the province. The decisions that will be taken will have a significant impact on the future of Ituri and on the lives of its inhabitants. We hope that this meeting will lead to concrete and effective solutions to end the violence and establish real stability in the region