Philemon Yav has already experienced a few debacles in his long career as a military commander. This one seems to rank among the most serious. The lieutenant-general was arrested on 20 September in Kinshasa and placed in detention in Makala. Although the reason for this arrest is not yet known, it could be serious, given his stature.
Between the East and Katanga
Since 2020, Philemon Yav had been reassigned to the east of the country and, last July, he was appointed commander of the third defence zone of the Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC), which covers the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, Maniema and Tshopo. In this capacity, he was responsible for the fight against armed groups, including the offensive coordinated with Uganda against the M23 rebellion, which resumed its attacks on Congolese soil last November.
“I master that terrain”, he told
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