FPIC militiamen launched several attacks on Bahema chiefdom,FARDC captured 5 CODECO Militants in the village of matete.

Bahema’s  Irumu chiefdom has recorded since Thursday, July 23, 2020 several attacks by FPIC militiamen, known as “Chini ya Kilima” in at least 4 different localities.
According to the head of this entity, Bahinduka Bamuhiga David, the attackers attacked in particular the Badia bridge as well as the villages of Tangu, Kabarole and Balazana located in the outskirts of Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri.
"There was an attack of the FPIC, yesterday they entered from the Badia bridge, they went up to Tangu, Balazana and it is today that they attacked Kabarole" he explained.
This customary authority, which puts forward a still provisional assessment of 3 people killed, adds that a psychosis reigns among the population, the majority of whom have moved to more secure environments.
The military has yet to respond to this situation.
For 3 years, Ituri province has been torn apart by several attacks and led by different groups of millices, CODECO in Djugu, FPIC and ADF in Irumu as well as several other Mai Mai groups in Mambasa.
In related incidence,DRC Armed Forces repelled an attack by a group of CODECO militiamen early in the morning of Friday, July 24, 2020 in the village of Matete, located 6 kilometers from Mungwalu, the main agglomeration of the region, north of Bunia chief- place of Ituri province.
According to the bourgmestre of Mungwalu commune, these outlaws who were leaving Sayo a district of this mining town to go to Besse and Liso attacked loyalist forces on patrol on the Mungwalu-kilo axis.
In their exchange of fire, 5 people among the militiamen were captured including 3 children, 1 woman and 1 man before recovering an AK-47 type weapon with magazine.
“This Friday July 24, 2020 around 4 am, while our soldiers were on patrol on the Mungwalu-kilo axis, more precisely in the village of Matete, they were attacked by a group of CODECO elements who came from Mungwalu , Sayo and wanted to regain Besse and evolve into Liso. Once attacked, our soldiers of the 312nd Battalion had to retaliate where they managed to control the situation by capturing three children, a man and a woman plus an AK-47 weapon with a magazine, ”explains Jean-Pierre Bikilisende.
According to the same source, those captured are well protected and treated by the army and no loss of human life has been noted by the FARDC.
Mr. Bikilisende took the opportunity to encourage the population of his jurisdiction to collaborate with the loyalist forces, before once again inviting the CODECO attackers to come back to common sense by responding to the call of the Congolese Head of State Félix Tshisekedi who even dispatched a delegation of former Lendu warlords to the area to negotiate peace.
On July 12, another alleged CODECO assailant was arrested in the Depot neighborhood in the same rural commune of Mungwalu, a mining area where artisanal gold mining is the main activity of civilians.

The presence of Burundian militiamen reported in the plains of Ruzizi ,they allege them to be (National Liberation Front) FNL

Local civil society alerting this Friday, July 24, 2020, reports that these militiamen are already starting to threaten the population in the mountains of the Ruzizi Plain.
′′ There are movements of Burundian militiamen around Sange. Last Wednesday they were seen at Kanga pasture in Mahangwe and next to Rwengero. These militiamen are already starting to threaten the inhabitants ", said a local civil society activist.
However,Captain Dieudonné Kasereka, spokesperson for operational sector Sukola 2 South Kivu, points out that the army is not yet informed of the presence of these Burundian rebels in Uvira highlands.
However, he asks the population to collaborate and report any suspicious movement in this part of South Kivu.
′′ If the inhabitants observe a suspicious movement, it must be reported to the regular army. We do know that there are some armed groups that would come from neighbouring countries in complicity with middle youth, and continue to circulate in the hills overlooking the city of Uvira. If the population has any information about any movement, we must inform loyalist forces so that we can make arrangements ", he explained.
It should be remembered that clashes between the army and local and foreign armed groups have been reported since the beginning of this year in South kivu.

SADEC gives Zambia 7 days to evacuate it's soldiers of DRC's Territory.

At the 41th ordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers held this Friday, July 24, 2020 by videoconference, the Minister of National Defence announced that Zambia has requested a 7-day delay to evacuate its troops that have been on Congolese floor for several months already.
According to a government source that confided under anonymity, Aimé Ngoy Mukena said that this situation is due to the position of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) which found that there is no debate to be made on the subject belonging to Kibanga and Kalubamba.
′′ The meeting was scheduled for 7 days but SADC noticed in half a day that there was no need to even discuss. Kibanga and Kalubamba are indeed Congolese localities. We're going to regulate the limitation so that this question doesn't arise anymore (...) This is very good news, Zambians asked 7 days for them to evacuate their troops starting tomorrow ", said The Minister of Defense according to our source.
While indicating that the observation and observation mission ended this Friday, Aimé Ngoy Mukena said that the Zambians occupying these two locations must leave.
In addition, according to our source, the Congolese defense boss has stressed that the people in charge of limiting borders will start work this Saturday, July 25
For his part, Head of State Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, at the same meeting, praised the ′′ happy ′′ outcome of this conflict that opposed his country, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia.
As a reminder, for the past few weeks the Zambian army has been occupying the locations of Kibanga and Kalubamba located on the border between the DRC and Zambia in the territories of Moba and Pweto in the province of Tanganyika.
On 15 March, the army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia faced each other in Kibanga, a village where Zambian military had raised their flag after taking down the DRC flag
This question had also been raised by Félix Tshisekedi and his Congolese counterpart Denis Sassou-Nguesso in Brazzaville during the 2-day work stay of the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo who closed on July 15th.

President Tshisekede tries to affirm his overall control over DRC.But won't this create more confusion in the Army and parliament.

By Small steps, President Tshisekedi tries to expand his room for manoeuvre against his powerful ally, the Common Front for Congo, the platform supporting former President Kabila. Majority in the National Assembly, being able to count on Prime Minister Ilunga Ilunkamba and above all important relays among the military, not forgetting the financial means of the former power, the FCC seemed to control the political game against Etienne Tshisekedi's son who had been described, a little quick, like a neophyte.
Today, after several passes of weapons, no one would risk speculating about the force ratio, which, at a time, seems to be changing in favour of the current head of state. It is not for no reason that thousands of activists from the former presidential majority marched this Thursday in Kinshasa, demanding compliance with the commitments that founded the coalition between the former president and Félix Tshisekedi.
The trial brought to vital Kamerhe, powerful director of cabinet of the head of state, accused for corruption, marked the start of the offensive. Retransmitted live, he had shown that no one was more untouchable. Kamerhe's dismissal, which however intends to appeal, had also broken the invisible wire which, we assumed, still connected it to Kabila.
Other offensives followed, first at the judicial level, thoroughly renewed. Several judges active in the Kamerhe trial have been promoted, including a new first President of the Court of Cassation. In addition, Mr. Ghislain Kikangala, a lawyer from Belgium, has been appointed coordinator of the agency for prevention and fight against corruption, and has the means to achieve the essential broom in a country where capital escape is valued at $ 10 billion a year.
As for the Constitutional Court, the very one that declared Félix Tshisekedi's victory, it was beheaded by the sudden exile in Belgium of its President Benoît Lwamba. The latter, President of the Supreme Judicial Council, was a depositary of the secret of the negotiations leading to the ′′ peaceful transition ′′ between Félix Tshisekedi and Joseph Kabila.
Bearing health reasons, he preferred to go to Brussels where he happily celebrated his birthday with his family. It should be noted that this experienced lawyer, considered one of the instruments of the Kabila system, arrived in Brussels aboard President Tshisekedi's private plane who had made a flash visit to his ′′ second homeland ", perhaps in order to carry out a medical check.
The hand placed on the judicial sector took place despite the Minister of Justice, Tunda ya Kasende, a powerful member of the FCC. The fate of the latter, which had been briefly arrested, had caused a lift of shields in the Kabila camp. Release Mr. Tunda Ya Kasende was forced to resign, however, from an ultra sensitive sector. André Alain Atundu, one of the spokespersons of the former president's political family, described with lucidity ′′ the will to take a hand on justice in order to decapitate and terrorize the FCC by waving the sword of justice on its main leaders. ′′ Denouncing ′′ a deadly confrontation at uncertain end ′′ he also reminded other existential emergencies such as the fall of purchasing power and the fall of Congolese Franc (which now swap at 2000 FC for a dollar).
After this warning, the offensive continued in the Armed Forces, which were thoroughly redesigned, but subtly: this is how General Gabriel Amisi, called Tango Four, under international sanctions, was promoted to the rank of Army General and placed at the head of the General Inspection of the Armies, joined by another officer also close to Joseph Kabila, Muhindi Akili Mudos, regularly questioned for his conduct of war in Ituri.
General Fall Sikabwe, also under penalties, has been placed at the head of the army. The most dangerous eviction is General John Numbi, replaced by Amisi and now without assignment. Very powerful in Katanga, where he also controls militias, accused of the death of activist Floribert Chebeya, Numbi had however pledged allegiance to the new power and facilitated the transition.
Will this man, who has relays in Kigali as in Katangese nationalists be pushed back into the corner of the ring, without reacting?
He is the only officer who has expressed his feelings: ′′ We are not lambs ", which has earned him being made available to the military auditorate.
The waltzes at the top do not prevent the rise of perils on the ground either: fighting continues in Ituri, armed Fulani from Central African Republic descended into the Bas Uélé and above all, 210 villagers were massacred in Kipupu, in Fizi territory in South Kivu, victims of militias of claimed to be of Rwandan or Burundian origin.

Former M23 rebels denounce ′′ imaginary conflict ′′ in North kivu

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the M23 armed group denied any responsibility in the attack of any position of the Congolese army that claimed their lives on Wednesday to three soldiers in the eastern part of the country.M23 further calls these attacks as "imaginary" and and rubbishes all the claims that it attacked FARDC,confirms that it never attacked any village or army position.They were allegation that a fierce clash between M23 and FARDC occurred in the groupment of Rugari,which M23 says is all "imaginary".You can read more on the Rugari clash here

Zambia Presidency Refutes Rwandan Rebels Financing Charges

Callixte Nsabimana, aka Sankara, spokesperson for Rwandan rebels National Liberation Force (NLF) told the judge in Rwanda that Zambian president Edgar Lungu funded his rebels to attack Rwanda. The Writing
The NLF is a military branch of a Rwandan opposition political party, the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change led by Rwandan dissident Paul Rusesabagina.
Nsabimana appeared on Monday in court where he pleaded guilty to all charges, but said he was misled by some people, including Kayumba Nyamwasa, a senior Rwandan army officer currently looking for asylum in Africa of South.
Speaking on Monday to Rwanda's International and Cross-Border Crimes Judge, Nsabimana accused Zambian President Edgar Lungu of pledging them $ million, but he advanced a hundred thousand dollars and allowed them to operate in his country to overthrow the Rwanda government.
Nsabimana was NLF's spokesperson, and he is accused of attacking villages in the south of the country, killing people, looted and destroying property.
Zambia refutes accusations
The Zambia Presidency has refuted the reports of local and international media that have taken over this news suggesting that President Edgar Lungu provided financial resources to a Rwandan organization named NLF to launch attacks in Rwanda.
President Lungu's Press Assistant, Mr. Isaac Chipampe, said tonight that the allegations were false and should be treated with the contempt they deserve.
′′ The Presidency noted with great dismay in the local and international media the allegations submitted to the High Court of Rwanda for international and cross-border crimes that His Excellency Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia reportedly provided financial resources to a Rwandan organization named NLF to launch attacks in Rwanda ", Mr. Chipampe.
′′ The Presidency would like to categorically refute these allegations and unequivocally wishes to say that these allegations are false and must be treated with the contempt they deserve. ′′
He added that the government, the people of Zambia and Rwanda continue to maintain strong and fraternal relationships based on mutual respect and a common goal based on shared values and principles.
The accused faces several charges, including the formation of an irregular armed group, complicity in terrorist acts, conspiracy and incitement to commit terrorist acts, hostage-taking, murder and looting.
Captured before extradition to Rwanda, Sankara was found with a Lesotho passport under the name of Kabera Joseph, born in Masisi, DRC, acquired in 2013 and paid for 5 South African rand (300 $ USD). The prosecution says it's a fake passport.The Zambian government has rejected the allegations that President Edgar Lungu has financially supported a group of rebels in Rwanda. In a press release issued on Wednesday, Lungu's spokesperson Isaac Chipambe said Lusaka would not want to jeopardize his strong and brotherly relations with Kigali by supporting the acts of destabilization of Rwandan rebel leader Callixte Nsabimana.
′′ The governments and peoples of Zambia and Rwanda continue to maintain strong and brotherly relationships based on mutual respect ", Chipambe said.
Nsabimana, who is being tried for alleged terrorist attacks in Rwanda, said this week to a court in Kigali that he had received funding from Lungu and other foreign leaders in his war to overthrow President Paul Kagame.
He explained to the court that Lungu promised to donate a million dollars to his National Liberation Front to help him out of Kigali's administration.
Lungu had already paid a $ 150.000 down payment for rebel outfits, Nsabimana said.
He also accused Lungu of allowing his rebel group to operate from his country to overthrow the Rwandan government.
This is not the first time that Nsabimana, who was arrested and deported to Rwanda in April 2019, accuses Zambia of helping not only its group, but also others, to coordinate their operations.
In his statement to prosecutors, Nsabimana quoted several countries including Uganda, Burundi and Zambia.

37 dead bodies found in Pinga after last week's clashes between militants

37 dead bodies have been found in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo following armed clashes, a conflict monitoring group announced on Friday.
The bodies were found in the city of Pinga and its surroundings on the territory of Walikale, North Kivu province following clashes between two factions of the Nduma Defense of Congo (NDC-R).
NDC-R is a militia that mainly operates in the eastern part of the DRC.
Clashes took place on July 20 in the resource-rich region.
The Forces of the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) have taken control of the city and that the inhabitants who had fled the region began to return home.
On Thursday, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) promised to continue to support FARDC against militias.
On Wednesday, a security meeting was held between MONUSCO Indian Peacekeepers, FARDC and local administrative authorities to discuss the security situation and protect civilians in Pinga.
Attacks on civilians in eastern DRC have multiplied in recent months.
In January, the army launched an offensive against militants in Ituri's gold-rich province as part of a wider offensive launched last October.
Since December 2017, violence in northeastern Ituri has killed nearly 1000 and half a million displaced people, according to the International Crisis Group.
Most militias have put aside their political claims and are involved in ore trafficking.