AFRICA/DR CONGO - Attacks in North Kivu; the population has been invited "not to fall into the provocation of terrorists"

Monday, 5 July 2021 terrorism   local churches  

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - "Do not fall into the trap of the ADF and their allies who, with the latest attacks, are waging psychological warfare to induce the population to rebel against the state of siege", states a note sent to Fides by CEPADHO, an organization for the defense of human rights based in Goma, the capital of North Kivu (east of the Democratic Republic of Congo), where in recent weeks the attacks attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), the original acronym of a group of Ugandan origin, which ultimately declared its adhesion to the Islamic State.
Among the attacks, CEPADHO recalls the explosion of an artisanal bomb in the parish of St. Emmanuel, in the Butsili area in the Municipality of Mulekera around 6 am on Sunday, June 27. The bomb fraudulently introduced into the church to cause significant loss of life, caused 2 serious injuries and significant material damage (destruction of furniture, windows, audio equipment, etc.). The worst was averted by the fact that the explosion occurred before the start of the mass. Also on Sunday, June 27, a terrorist died in the explosion of the device he was preparing to trigger, injuring two other people, while another explosive device was found not far from a refueling station.
"CEPADHO, which condemns these bomb attacks, says that the virulence of the ADF shouldn't come as a surprise. It is in fact a strategy to oppose the state of siege decreed by the government. With these acts, the jihadists try to inflict significant losses in human lives and enormous material damage to incite the population to fight on their behalf the decision of the state of siege decreed by the President", the statement said.
On May 6, the state of siege in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri entered into force, proclaimed on May 3 by President Félix Tshisekedi (see Fides, 7/5/2021). In the order, the Head of State appointed a military governor and a deputy police governor who will assume the powers of the civil authorities for a period of 30 days. President Tshisekedi made the decision after the east of the country has been ravaged by armed conflicts for decades. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 5/7/2021)


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