The Congolese Prime Minister Sama Lukonde ended his 4-day mission on Tuesday in North Kivu and Ituri, two provinces in the east of the DRC that have been under a state of siege for more than 3 months.
Congolese PM assesses the situation in North Kivu and Ituri
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Le Premier ministre congolais Sama Lukonde en visite à Béni, Août 2021, Africanews.
In Beni, one of the Congolese cities plagued by insecurity, the Head of Government assessed the situation of the state of siege in North Kivu with the various stakeholders concerned.
Accompanied by several members of the government, Sama Lukonde visited the people who had been wounded in the war before handing out medicines and food.
Sama Lukonde acknowledges some progress on the ground even if several things are yet to be done.
"It shows us that there is work being done and that there has always been progress on the ground, but these are steps to be maintained because, it is one thing to recover certain localities, certain positions. To have another option we will see how to improve the things where it does not work and will be able to put the troops where things are working, certainly there are many problems."
The Congolese Prime Minister's visit to the east of the country is very controversial among many Congolese in the east who say they do not expect anything positive from this promise.
"In fact, his arrival is a good thing, but we fear that it will just be an odinary visit because we are used to seeing the authorities come from day to day in North Kivu and everywhere in the DRC, but after their departure nothing is done on the ground, expressed Espoir Muhinuka, a local.
On the other hand, this other Congolese thinks that the presence of the Congolese Prime Minister is a relief for the people of the east.
"It is in relation to the profession of public order so that peace returns, he is putting into practice the vision of the Head of State in relation to everything that is happening so that peace returns to North Kivu and Ituri," said another local.
Despite the state of siege decreed by President Tshisekedi, civilians continue to be victims of atrocities. Kinshasa has called upon other foreign powers to try to bring peace to the east, which has been under threat for over 20 years.