The round table discussions on the evaluation of the state of siege in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri began on Monday, August 14, 2023, at the Palace of the People in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This round table aims to determine the future of the state of siege, which has failed to put an end to the growing insecurity in the affected provinces.
The civil society of the Beni territory has issued a warning against the possible appointment of special commissioners to lead these two provinces under the state of siege. Richard Kirimba, the first vice-president of the civil society, emphasizes that the population’s desire is to lift this exceptional regime and transfer power to civilian administration.
Maître Achille Kapanga, a political actor from the Beni region, shares the same opinion as the civil society and opposes the idea of appointing special commissioners. He believes that these discussions will be an opportunity to return power to the elected deputies and governors so that they can complete their mandate peacefully.
Maître Ghislain Syaghuswa, a member of the Ensemble for the Republic party, also rejects the idea of appointing special commissioners. He believes that maintaining the state of siege is more important and urgent at the moment, rather than lifting or reclassifying it. He argues that the state of siege will naturally end after the upcoming legislative elections .
The state of siege was implemented on May 6, 2021, with the aim of ending insecurity in North Kivu and Ituri. However, two years later, the persistence of insecurity still divides public opinion on the effectiveness of this special measure, which many believe should be lifted or reclassified. The round table initiated by President Félix Tshisekedi is expected to find a resolution to this controversy .
