By
Sylvain Muyali
Following the sudden and recent passing of General Lucien Bahuma Ambamba, Brigadier General Emmanuel Lombe Bangwangu has been appointed as the new army commander of the 8th Military Region of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
His first official appearance will be alongside Governor Julien Paluku for the funeral of another respected figure, former North Kivu Governor, Denis Paluku Muthongerwa who had worked within the Zaire government during the reign of Mobutu Sese Seko.
Brigadier General Lombe will also take command of Operation Sokola from the late General Bahuma for the Military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (FARDC) campaign against the Ugandan ADF rebels, launched in January with the support of MONUSCO following years of atrocities against the civilian population of Beni and its surrounding territories.
The death of respected General Bahuma Ambamba came as a shock to many, raising questions as to its circumstances and timing. This, along with the passing earlier this year of another hero of the people, and one of Bahuma’s commanders, Colonel Mamadou Ndala, brought the declaration of two days ‘without university’ by the students of Beni, North Kivu in their memory.
“After the umpteenth case of sudden demise of our brave fighters, namely the hero Mamadou Ndala and General Lucien Bahuma, regarded as the liberators of North Kivu, we report two days, or 48 hours of mourning throughout the academia Beni. That is to say, without campus students and say that there will be no activity in academia, “stated Aksanti Bulungu, president of the Beni Student Committee.
Earlier this week, students from Goma, the capital city in the province of North Kivu, took to the streets to demand an investigation into the circumstances of General Bahuma’s death.
Beni student Kakule Konga explained to me by telephone that students plan to hold a forum at the open roundabout of Nyamwisi where they openly invite the authorities to provide an explanation into the “sudden deaths” of General Bahuma and Colonel Ndala.
Related article ‘DR Congo General Lucien Bahuma Ambamba Passes Away’ 31st August 2014, Tuck Magazine https://tuckmagazine.com/2014/08/31/dr-congo-general-lucien-bahuma-ambamba-passes-away/
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‘
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