DRC: Former Presidents of Parliament call for an end to violence in the east

FARDC soldier on patrol in the highlands of South Kivu, in October 2020 (illustrative image).

RFI / Sonia Rolley

Text by: RFI Follow

4 min

The persistence of violence in the East is of greater concern to the political class.

On Wednesday May 5, the former presidents of the National Assembly and the Senate met to discuss the issue.

Call has been made for an end to the violence.

And while the state of siege decreed by President Félix Tshisekedi in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri to try to stem the violence of armed groups comes into force on Thursday, the former bosses of Parliament have avoided decide on the matter.

One of them, Thomas Luhaka released the final declaration. 

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With our correspondent in Kinshasa,

Pascal Mulegwa

Philomène Omatuku, Olivier Kamitatu, Thomas Luhaka, Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo, Leon Kengo Wa Dondo, Evariste Boshab, Aubin Minaku, and Alexis Thambwe Mwamba, first indicated that they were "

 inspired

" by their experience "

drawn from the management of power in the head of Parliament

”.

Faced with a "

cycle of asymmetrical wars marked by acts of complex terrorism reminiscent of the holocaust of the last century

 ", they indicate in their statement, they expressed concern about the " 

spiral of violence to which the Congolese nation is a victim. and the persistence of atrocious and massive killings of the civilian population

”in this part of the country.

Convinced that "

the pacification and securing of the territory are the primary responsibility of the Congolese

", they unitedly demanded "

from the direct and indirect perpetrators the immediate end of the killings of civilians

" in eastern DRC .

These former heads of Parliament under the regime of Joseph Kabila (2001–2018), urged the political class to "

silence partisan quarrels and to surpass themselves to build a consensus around the security issue of the East

".

In the same declaration, they ask civil society to " 

become more actively involved in raising awareness among the population of the east of the country in order to support our armed forces in the fight against the terrorism which is plaguing the DRC

".

To countries "

friends and brothers, members of the international community

", they want them to support the Congolese State with "

logistical assistance and expertise in the fight against terrorism

".

For them, the security issue of this battered part of Congo - Kinshasa should no longer be considered a "

priority, but an emergency

" which deserves "

national support

".

# DRC🇨🇩: Aubin Minaku, Olivier Kamitatu, Léon Kengo, Thomas Luhaka, Laurent Monsegwo and Alexis Thambwe Mwamba and Evariste BOSHAB were inspired by their “experience drawn from the management of power at the head of Parliament”, but refused to decide on the state of siege.

https://t.co/tMen69j1Kl

- Pascal Mulegwa 🎙 (@pascal_mulegwa) May 5, 2021

Read also State of siege in the DRC: former rebels appointed military governors

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