The civil society of Masisi and Rutshuru wanted, Wednesday January 17, that the SADC, SAMI/DRC force would be on the front lines alongside the FARDC in order to put down the M23 rebellion and liberate Congolese territory.
This wish was expressed on Wednesday by certain civil society actors from Masisi and Rumangabo in an interview with Radio Okapi.
These civil society actors from the territories under occupation of the M23 thus reacted to the appeal launched to the population, Tuesday January 16, by the operations commander and commander of the land force of the Congolese army, Lieutenant General Fall Sikabwe.
He reassured the displaced population that this force comes with an offensive mission.
And, civil society is waiting to see this offensive mandate carried out on the front lines.
“The population’s expectation is that we can see this force uniting alongside the FARDC and other forces fighting against aggression in our country. So, the population expects the activation of this SADC force on the front lines, thereby forcing the enemy out of Congolese territory. We no longer want to see a force come with an observation character, that would be free armed tourism,” declared Télésphore Mitondeke of Masisi civil society.
For Gentil Karabuka, from Rumangabo civil society, the population must respond positively to the army’s call and support this new force:
“We are asking for this SADC force to come and do the impossible. I send another message to the displaced population who have continued to suffer for a very long time. We must support the message that was launched by General Sikabwe who asks us to trust the forces of the SADC and the Congolese government, because when you see what the population is going through in the different camps: rape , children do not study, children today have become street children, people are dying of hunger…”
The SAMIR\DRC force began its deployment in North Kivu in mid-December with the arrival of at least 400 South African soldiers.
But on the ground, until January 18, no source reported the presence of this SADC force in the occupied zones or the combat zones.