DR Congo President Joseph Kabila tours ex-rebel areas

President Joseph Kabila is touring eastern areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo which were held by rebels until earlier this month. He has spent the past week driving from Kisangani in a 70-car convoy.

His is due to end his 930km- (575 mile) journey later in Rutshuru, which was held by the M23 rebels for more than a year.

On the way, he has made several speeches, warning the region’s other militias to disarm or be hunted down.

This is Mr Kabila’s first visit to the troubled North Kivu province for two years.

The mineral-rich area has been wracked by conflict for the past two decades but the defeat of the M23 has raised some hopes of a more stable future.

President stuck in the mud

The BBC’s Maud Jullien in Rutshuru says hundreds of people have gathered in the main stadium to listen to the president’s speech.

The day has been declared a public holiday and some people were prevented from farming their fields and encouraged to go see the president, our correspondent says.

“We are very happy, because we have suffered here under the M23 administration for over a year, and now the president has come to dry our tears,” said a young man in the stadium.

But many local residents are afraid that the peace will not last, our correspondent says.

Many other armed groups remain active in the region.

DR Congo is two-thirds the size of Western Europe but after decades of conflict and mismanagement, has hardly any tarred roads outside the capital, Kinshasa.

The president flew the 1,200 km to Kisangani before carrying on by road.

Officials have told our correspondent that Mr Kabila has been driving himself.

His car got stuck in the mud several times on the way – his presidential guards had to get out and push the vehicle.

Mr Kabila was accompanied by the minister of infrastructure, who has said emergency construction works have begun, before full renovation works by two Chinese companies begin.

Source:BBC News 

UM– USEKE.RW