Regional

DRC: Gen Cirimwami will only mind insecurity momentum in North Kivu

2023-09-22 05:30:00

Maj Gen Peter Cirimwami replaced Lt Gen Constant Ndima, the Military Governor of North Kivu Province who was recalled to Kinshasa.

Following the Goma carnage where more than 55 people were killed by President Felix Tshisekedi’s elite forces, Lt Gen Constant Ndima, who was Military Governor of North Kivu Province was recalled to Kinshasa. This prompted an effective replacement by Maj Gen Peter Cirimwami.

Cirimwami is a name associated with controversy and failed military campaigns in North Kivu, a region plagued by years of conflict. His appointment raises doubts and fears among the people who had hoped for peace.

The General’s failures started when he failed to fight the M23 rebels, and in an act of desperation, reached out to various armed groups, including the genocidal FDLR from Rwanda, APCLS, and CMC/FDP fighters, among others, to form a coalition, and help his soldiers finish the failed job.

This coalition of evil was documented by Human Rights Watch in October 2022, indicating that under the direct orders of Cirimwami, Congolese army elements from Tokolonga’s 3411th regiment provided more than a dozen boxes of ammunition, uniforms and boots to FDLR fighters in Kazaroho.

To cover his failures, Kinshasa recalled Cirimwami as a way to cover their tracks for a short time. But given that impunity is rampant in the DRC government, he came back, unpunished, and is now ready to take up new responsibilities.

How can anyone expect a General who has only worked with negative armed groups to sow chaos bring back peace? It is clear that President Tshisekedi's appointment of Cirimwami is not a solution to North Kivu’s insecurity, but a dangerous gamble with the region's stability.

This shows that the President's actions are not driven by a genuine desire for peace but by a hidden agenda – war.

In the meantime, the people of North Kivu continue to bear the effect of insecurity. Their hopes for peace and stability have been dashed, and their lives remain trapped in the crossfire of political manoeuvring.

The appointment of Cirimwami as Governor of North Kivu will not bring the region any closer to peace since calls for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in North Kivu by regional leaders were met with silence from the Congolese government.