US SPECIAL ENVOY FEINGOLD VISITS THE DR CONGO

By

Sylvain Muyali

Russ Feingold Special Envoy of the United States to the Great Lakes region of Africa arrived in Goma, North Kivu earlier last week. He gave his views on the elections in the DRC which, according to him, should commence with the national before the local.

The Provincial Minister of the Interior, Hon Valerian Mbalutwirande said on Local Radio that the Government of North Kivu told Russ Feingold that the pattern of democracy requires that the elections begin rather, with the base at local and then national elections.

The Minister added that the US envoy did not speak of their support in the forthcoming elections in the DRC, as desired.

Regarding the FDLR, Mr. Feingold said that the deadline for the demobilisation of these Rwandan Hutu rebels is well over but trusts the word of President Joseph Kabila to end the FDLR before the end of 2014.

The Provincial Interior minister also said that there are constraints and prerequisites for the FDLR rebels, scattered in various parts of the DRC,  and that they will need to reflect further on the second appointment with Russ Feingold, requesting he return to the DR Congo soon to continue his consultations with the Government of North Kivu.

Sylvain Muyali

Sylvain Muyali is a Journalist, Photographer and Filmmaker from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He has reported previously for the Associated Press and his words and images can also be found at ‘Vivons Positivement‘