After the first month delivered few improvements on the ground, the government prolonged the state of siege for another two weeks in June. Analysts says it will take much longer to deal with rebel groups preying on local populations and the security forces that refuse to fight them or give them support.
The state of siege was a key measure announced by the newly formed government. Placing these two provinces under military administration, replacing governors and deputy governors with officials from the army or police, and suspending civilian jurisdictions was supposed to help solve the security problem in these regions.
The Kivu Security Tracker, a project developed by the Congo Research Group and Human Rights Watch, lists more than 120 armed groups there. The Allied Democratic Forces rebels alone are responsible for the deaths of more than 1,000 civilians since November 2019 in Beni.
There's more to this story
Get unlimited access to our exclusive journalism and features today. Our award-winning team of correspondents and editors report from over 54 African countries, from Cape Town to Cairo, from Abidjan to Abuja to Addis Ababa. Africa. Unlocked.
cancel anytime
Already a a subscriber Sign In
