Congolese Army Chief of General Staff Didier Etumba Longila (pictured above) is requesting for substantial resources to completely crash the M23 rebels.
Gen. Etumba was speaking on June 22 at Mount Ngaliema at a ceremony to present the new deputy Prime Minister Luba Ntambo Alexander, Minister of National Defence and Veterans Affairs.
The congolese army general said the national army, FARDC was facing “multiple challenges” in defense matters, including the issue of mutineers led by Bosco Ntaganda and his cohorts in North Kivu.
This is why he is seeking for”substantial resources” to completely crush the
rebels of M23.
Earlier June 6, President Joseph Kabila told the Congolese General officers and Senior FARDC at a meeting in Kinshasa that the “only choice” to neutralize armed cells (M23, Mai Mai, Fontaine, Cheka, Yakutumba) “is to continue to hunt them down, to weaken and crash them totally, totally in order to bring peace to the East part of DRC. ”
“First and foremost we need to mobilize substantial resources now that legal texts are there to achieving the first phase of reform in the army. I also think the challenge of this new security dimension in North Kivu which is the issue of mutineers led by Bosco Ntaganda and his cronies, “he said.
Gen. Etumba promised the minister of defense of “obedience, working full and frank” FARDC, “loyal to the institutions of the Republic” for the performance of its “heavy burden”.
The Appoinment of Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Luba Ntambo was subject to the Presidential Decree No. 12/004 of 28 April 2012.
Ntambo holds a degree in pharmacy from the University of Kinshasa in 1975. He was born December 14, 1947 at Manono (Katanga).
He previosuly served in capacity as Chief of staff of the Special Advisor of the Head of State Security (2001-2002), Deputy ADG as agent for Gecamines to Kamoto Copper Company (KCC) (2009 to 2012 ).
Additional reporting: Le Potentiel
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