© Coralie Pierret RFI
City of Goma, in eastern DRC.
In the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a strong government delegation headed by Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde is staying in Goma, North Kivu, to assess the state of siege . The measure, decreed for eleven months by President Félix Tshisekedi, is struggling to bear fruit. This is the reason for the harsh criticism emanating from the opposition, from civil society and even from the majority.
With our correspondent in Kinshasa, Pascal Mulegwa
The head of government and the eight ministers of his delegation were accompanied, among others, by army and police chiefs as well as by deputies and senators.
The presence of Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde proved to be an emergency given the resurgence of violence: ” This visit is part of our determination to bring peace to this part of the country. And it will be an opportunity for us to review precisely the level of progress of the state of siege. »
A first evaluation meeting took place on Sunday evening. Civil society, of which Jean-Claude Bambaze is a member, is waiting for the requalification of the state of siege because, according to him, the appointed military officers have turned away from their mission: “ They are very into taxes and other things. Everyone is almost muzzled, people no longer have the right to speak, to demonstrate. The Prime Minister must give other clear directions but also we want to be told how long it takes. Failing this, he must in any case take a courageous decision to suspend, because before and following the state of siege, it is the same ».
Another objective of the visit was to express support for the armed forces, even if the Minister of Defense recently detected ” failures » in the devices in particular once morest the rebels of the M23. Command has been relieved.
Read also: DRC: M23 announces withdrawal from localities conquered this weekend in Rutshuru
In Goma, the head of government is killing two birds with one stone to prepare for the visit next July of Pope Francis. As soon as he arrived, Sama Lukonde inspected the imposing “Queen of Peace” cathedral, still under construction.
