The national army of the Democratic Republic of Congo, FARDC, has called on motorbike and tricycle riders in Goma, North Kivu to denounce bandits and rebels hiding among them.
Lt.-Col. Njike Kaiko Guillaume, army spokesperson in the region, made the call during a sensitisation meeting organised by the 34th military region on the importance of the state of siege in the Ituri and North Kivu provinces with motorbike and tricycle riders in Goma on Saturday, Sept. 25.
Guillaume reminded members of the two groups to be vigilant because “the enemy has the tendency of infiltrating among them” as they run away from the fire power of the FADRC as it carries out operations.
“At this hour, the enemy is being tracked down and he has the tendency of surfacing only to infiltrate the population,” the army spokesperson said.
“The target of the enemy is more especially the motorbike and tricycle riders. They infiltrate the tricycle and motorcycle riders in order to hide themselves.”
“Due to the fact that these are important components of the population, it is necessary to sensitise them on the subject of the state of siege. We want that together we can nail the enemy.”
The motorbike and tricycle riders on their part promised to furnish the army with all useful information to enable it succeed in its mission which is the restoration of peace in North Kivu.
“It is true that the town is very infiltrated. After exchanges with the army, we have agreed to denounce all unknown persons amongst us. We salute the coming into force of the state of siege and we are going to accompany the army in enforcing it,” a leader of the motor taximen who opted for anonymity said.
“Even if insecurity is not completely eradicated, at least some results are already palpable. It is true that much remains to be done but we are going to accompany the army with a view to the success of its mission, which is to bring back peace to North Kivu and Ituri.”
The sensitisation session followed the military influence operations being carried out by the army for quite some time now.
Before the Saturday session, the army had earlier met with representatives of the churches and the press to discuss the state of siege.
The state of siege was declared in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri on May 6, 2021 by President Felix Tshisekedi with a view to curbing the activities of negative local and foreign forces which include the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and the Rwanda Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda FDLR.
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