Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi has replaced the head of the army as part of a series of chops and change within the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), amidst advances by the M23 rebels in the country’s east.
Lieutenant General Jules Banza Mwilambue succeeds General Christian Tshiwewe as Chief of the General Staff of the FARDC. General Tshiwewe has been appointed military advisor to the president, according to decrees signed on Monday and announced on Friday via state television.
Major General Christian Ndaywel, previously commander of the formidable military intelligence service, has been named Chief of Staff of the Land Forces.
Major General Jerome Chico Tshitambwe, who had been serving as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Intelligence and as commander of operations against the M23 in North Kivu, has been appointed Commander of the Armed Forces for the First Defense Zone, which includes Kinshasa.
These changes come as the Congolese army struggles to reclaim territories seized by the M23 rebellion, which is backed by Rwanda and its military in the North Kivu province.
Since November 2021, the M23 rebellion has captured vast swathes of territory in eastern DRC. In recent days, the rebels have made further advances in northern North Kivu, pushing closer to key locations.
The insurgents, who have never previously reached this far in the region, are now within 50 kilometers of Lubero, the territory’s administrative center, and approximately 100 kilometers from Butembo, a significant commercial hub.
The rebels’ territorial gains follow the collapse of peace talks between Kinshasa and Kigali.
On Sunday, Presidents Félix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame were scheduled to meet at a summit in Luanda, organised by Angolan President João Lourenço, the African Union’s designated mediator for the conflict.
The summit had aimed to establish an agreement for “the restoration of peace and stability in eastern DRC.” However, disagreements over the terms prevented any accord, leading to the summit’s last-minute cancellation.
AFP/TE/sf/lb/as/APA