Regional
DRC: Gen Cirimwami will only mind insecurity momentum in North Kivu
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.
Related:
DRC
government defends Goma carnage. This speaks to Tshisekedi’s failure
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.
Related:
DRC
army supplying arms to FDLR: HRW Report
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.