The UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) will keep in touch with the government on the potential extension of a "state of siege" in two provinces attacked by Islamist rebels, MONUSCO spokesperson Mathias Gillmann told Sputnik
JOHANNESBURG (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th May, 2021) The UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) will keep in touch with the government on the potential extension of a "state of siege" in two provinces attacked by Islamist rebels, MONUSCO spokesperson Mathias Gillmann told Sputnik.
On Saturday, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi declared a "state of siege" in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu after Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militants killed a senior Muslim imam during prayer at a mosque in Beni. The state of siege limited movement in the areas.
"We take note the 'etat de siege' is declared for an initial 30-day period and that its potential extension will require consultation with the national assembly and the Senate," Gillmann said.
He described the measure as a sovereign decision that will have significant implications, particularly for operational human activities, defense and promotion of human rights.
The UN mission will remain in touch with the DRC authorities to ensure that their partnership and support for the priorities set by the government were as efficient as possible, the spokesperson said.
The DRC government is confronted by a variety of rebel militant groups active in the eastern part of the country. The ADF, in particular, also operates in neighboring Uganda, where the government designated it as a terrorist organization.
