Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bukavu (Fides Service)- There is a situation of uncertainty in Bukavu southern Kivu (south-east Democratic Congo) since the governor Xavier Chiribanya was suspended on Saturday 7 February. The decision was taken by the ministers of Interior, Defence and Justice on their return to the capital Kinshasa after a visit to Bukavu. Besides the governor, the mayor and provincial chief of security were also suspended. Absent from the country President Joseph Kabila did not attend the meeting but he approved the decision.
The measures were taken after a week of unrest and fighting between the 10th army legion responsible for south Kivu and militia faithful to the governor. The army found and confiscated a large stock of weapons reportedly belonging to the governor (see Fides 6 February 2004 http://www.fides.org/ita/news/2004/0402/06_2163.html)
The local Catholic Radio Maria Malkia wa Amani, told Fides that the governor said his suspension was “unjust” and he accused others of hiding weapons: “in Bukavu there are a lot of arms and ammunition. There are people in Kinshasa with houses in Bukavu and large supplies of all kinds of weapons. Why did they pick on me?”.
Radio Maria Malkia wa Amani describes the situation: “On 8 February people flocked to church for Sunday Mass. Many were unaware of the critical situation. Intellectuals are asking: “Who is behind the governor? Who is arming his men? Is it true that the governor’s troops are backed and supported by mercenaries from Rwanda? Why was the governor hiding weapons?”
The MONUC Peace keeping mission deployed by the United Nations has set up road blocks in and around Bukavu to watch the movement of troops and weapons.
Suspended governor Xavier Chiribanya is a member of the Congolese Union for Democracy (RDC), the main rebel group which joined the interim national unity government installed after the peace agreement signed in June 2003. In theory, the only armed group should be the unified army formed with the fusion of President Kabila’s troops with various rebel groups operating in east Congo. But in actual fact the military situation is not yet settled in the east where a number of guerrilla movements, some of them from foreign countries, impede national stability. (L.M.) (Fides Service9/2/2004, lines 39 words 482)
