During the speech that preceded the opening, the head of Government assured that the nation will defend itself against its aggressors and their accomplices, and that those who massacre, decapitate and rape the peaceful population, and plunder wealth, ‘sooner or later, will be brought to justice for their barbarity and their crimes.’

She showed awareness of the serious security problem facing her government and said she intends to take significant steps to pacify the affected areas, the Congolese news agency Agence Congolaise de Presse reported.

‘Our country is coping with a precarious situation that requires urgent action, particularly in North Kivu, where the Rwandan army, under the cover of the M23 rebel movement, continues to undermine the socio-economic fabric by occupying parts of the Rutshuru, Masisi and Nyiragongo territories,’ the PM asserted.

She added that the presence of foreign and local armed groups in Ituri, South Kivu, Maniema and Tanganyika provinces further exacerbates insecurity and disrupts peaceful coexistence; conflicts affects the supply chain and make it difficult to access resources necessary for survival.

She dedicated special words to the MPs representing the eastern part of the country, to whom she expressed her ‘strong determination to work for the return of lasting peace.’

mh/omr/rgh/kmg