DRC: PM in war-torn eastern provinces to assess unpopular state of siege measure

Democratic Republic Of Congo

The head of government in the Democratic Republic of Congo kicked off Friday (Nov. 22) an assessment mission in the country's war-torn east. Judith Suminwa and an large delegation landed on Friday in Goma, the capital of the North-Kivu province.

North-Kivu and the neighbouring province of Ituri have been under the state of siege for 3 and a half years. The move decreed by President Felix Tshisekedi has since been criticized and its efficiency called into question.

As you know, the president ordered last year, measures aiming to ease the state of siege. It is true that all of those measures haven't been enforced. That is why it was all the more crucial for us to come here, to hold discussions with the province's key stakeholders so as to see if new elements have emerged. And if so, to work on how to enforce the measures that still haven't been enforced and see how to move beyond what has already been planned."

After leaving the international airport of Goma, the PM was greeted by crowds of protestors.

The youth had gathered in the provincial capital to voice their frustration over the enduring insecurity. They chanted slogans like "Down with the state of siege".

"The president of the Republic himself said he'd enforced the state of siege to restore the state's authority and chase down rebel groups. Since Goma remains encircled by rebel groups, we don’t see the use of the state of siege," Fiston says.

Previous evaluation missions have been conducted on the state of siege in the DRC's eastern regions.

In this displacement camp, residents witnessed first-hand a spiralling of violence and the territorial gains of rebel gourps

Since it was enforced, we haven't seen any significant improvement. All of us here, as residents, we suffer in these displacement camps. We ask that the state of siege be lifted. We have a military governor but we don't seen to what use," Sifa says.

During her visit, PM Judith Suminwa will reportedly meet MONUSCO representatives before traveling to the Ituri province. Over a hundred armed groups have been sowing terror in the region for decades.