Kinshasa, August 7th, 2021 (CPA).- The Defense and Security Committee of the National Assembly has granted 48 hours to the Minister of National Defense and ex-combatants, Gilbert Kabanda, to respond to the concerns of national deputies, members of the said commission, raised during its hearing Thursday, on the operations carried out within the framework of the state of siege.
The chairman of the « Defense and Security » committee, Bertin Mubonzi, who declared it, at the end of the discussions within the framework of the evaluation of the state of siege decreed since May 3 by the Head of ‘State, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, said that the hearing took place in serenity in the presence in particular of the Minister of Relations with the Parliament and some officers of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC).
“What should be remembered is that following the guidelines of the office of the National Assembly, today we started a series of hearings of members of the government, including the Minister of Defense. Obviously, the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Justice will follow, « said Bertin Mubonzi, adding: » today we received the Minister of Defense who was accompanied by the Chief of Staff. and some generals who have a role in the operations which are carried out within the framework of the state of siege. And what we will just have to remember what it happened in an atmosphere of serenity. We discussed several subjects and he will come back in 48 hours to respond to certain concerns of the deputies and will come back to us here on Monday to receive the Minister of Justice and continue with the hearings”.
In addition, a national deputy member of the « Defense and Security » Commission, Saint Nicolas Iracan, expressed his satisfaction with the way in which the hearing took place.
« We have obtained sufficient information to be able to assess the situation on the ground in Ituri and North Kivu, » he said.
During the plenary session on August 2, several elected officials, notably from North Kivu and Ituri, demanded an assessment of the state of siege.
The national deputy Bertin Mubonzi of the Union for the Congolese nation of Vital Kamerhe since June 10 chaired the defense and security committee of the National Assembly, replacing the deputy Jaynet Kabila, twin sister of the former President of the Republic Joseph Kabila, the moral authority of the Common Front for Congo (FCC).
While the vice-presidency of the commission was entrusted to Jacques Djoli, an executive of the Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC) led by Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo. ACP/
