Bahati Musanga Erasto, the AFC/M23-appointed governor of North Kivu Province, made the announcement on Monday during a visit to Kitshanga trading center in Masisi Territory.
According to Bahati, the government in Kinshasa cut off telecommunications services in areas controlled by the group, a decision he said has negatively affected civilians. He stated that AFC/M23 is working on measures to ensure communication services are restored and cannot be disrupted again.
“The Kinshasa government is the one that shut down the network,” he said. “We are working to ensure that the network will no longer be shut down. We are in the process of introducing another network provider that will be under our control. It will reach Goma, Kitshanga and all other areas. No one will be able to interfere with these towers again in a way that disrupts connectivity.”
He added that currently only residents in the cities of Goma and Bukavu are able to access mobile phone services, while people in other areas remain without reliable telecommunications access.
It remains unclear whether AFC/M23 intends to launch a newly created telecommunications company or partner with an existing operator active in other countries.
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