The Democratic Republic of Congo is set to gradually phase out military administration and lift the curfew in two eastern provinces, where the government has been engaged in combat against armed groups, as declared by the president on Thursday.
In a televised message to the nation, President Felix Tshisekedi announced “a gradual and progressive easing” of the emergency measures in North Kivu and Ituri, with a plan for transitioning back to civilian governance.
The “state of siege,” which is comparable to a state of emergency, was instituted in the provinces in May 2021, with the government citing the necessity to suppress violence and reestablish order.
Human rights organizations have consistently raised concerns about the legality and necessity of these measures, which enabled mass pretrial detentions and imposed limitations on freedom of movement.
“I have opted… for the implementation of a gradual transitional arrangement at the end of which this exceptional situation should come to an end,” Tshisekedi said in an address broadcast at 11:00 pm (2200 GMT) in Kinshasa.
The transitional arrangement “will consist of re-establishing civilian authority in the decentralised and deconcentrated territorial entities that are already secured under the control of the DRC Armed Forces”.
He added that he would be “lifting the constitutional restrictions” and once again allowing “the free movement of people and goods by putting an end to the curfew” and granting the right to peaceful demonstration and assembly.
The country’s resource-rich eastern regions have been beleaguered by hundreds of armed groups, with many of them stemming from the aftermath of regional conflicts that erupted during the 1990s and 2000s.
M23 rebels, with support from Rwanda, seized extensive territories in North Kivu following their offensive in late 2021, resulting in violence that led to the displacement of over a million people.
Tshisekedi affirmed that security conditions have ameliorated in the two affected provinces.
The president’s declaration coincides with the upcoming December 20th election, in which he is seeking re-election.
“Various players involved in the electoral process are entitled to participate fully without hindrance,” he noted in his address.
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s electoral commission is scheduled to release the list of provisional presidential candidates on October 25th.
