Major General Evariste Solo Kakule has been appointed a military governor in the province of North Kivu, under a state of siege from rebel forces, APA learned from security sources.
The appointment of General Evariste Solo Kakule as governor of North Kivu, confirmed by the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of National Defense and Veterans Affairs (VPMNDAC), comes amid escalating violence in the region.
The humanitarian situation in the province, particularly in Goma, is deteriorating.
The World Food Program (WFP) is warning of an impending shortage of supplies, while the UNHCR reports more than 500,000 displaced people in January alone.
According to hospital reports, recent clashes have left at least 17 dead and 367 injured in two days. The ICRC is also concerned about health risks, particularly a possible spread of the Ebola virus from a laboratory in Goma.
Diplomatic initiatives are underway to ease tensions.
A meeting between Presidents Félix Tshisekedi (DRC) and Paul Kagame (Rwanda) is scheduled for Wednesday in Nairobi, following preliminary talks between the latter and his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa on the urgency of a ceasefire.
The appointment of a new military governor, sanctioned by a presidential order on January 28, 2025, is part of dealing with the state of siege, an exceptional measure put in place to try to restore security in this strategic region of eastern Congo where the M23 rebels and the FARDC have been engaged in clashes.
AC/sf/lb/as/APA