By
Sylvain Muyali
Eight members of the militia group Nyatura, including two senior officers, previously active in Katoyi, in the Masisi territory of North Kivu surrendered to the provincial governor Julien Paluku Kahongya on Monday 13th October.
The surrender followed a recent voluntary disarmament campaign initiated by the office of the North Kivu governor calling for members of rebel groups and illegal gun owners to surrender arms to the DR Congo military (FARDC) or United Nations Stabilisation Mission (MONUSCO).
Ray Virgilio Torres, head of MONUSCO’s North Kivu office, praised the courage of the Mai-Mai Nyatura who demonstrated their patriotism by surrendering, calling on other militia who still roam the bush to give peace a chance by doing the same.
The commander of the Nyatura militia, Colonel Kotala Dedieu (aka Kikingi) stated that the voluntary withdrawal from the bush was motivated by a desire to abandon that life to join in with efforts to rebuild the country, justifying it for the overall peace of the Masisi territory.
Sukisa Ndayambaje, assistant administrator for finance in the Masisi territory, stated that this is one of the benefits of the disarmament campaign recently implemented, adding that a committee is now in place to put an end to the activism of armed groups in the territory and to arrange for the return of IDP‘s to their respective communities.
However, in addition to the Nyatura, several other armed militias currently roam the Masisi territory, among them the Army of the People for a Free and Sovereign Congo (APCLS), the infamous January Karayiri as well as an extension of the Mai-Mai Raia Mutomboki group active in Walikale, further emphasising Ndayambaje’s words that it is not an easy task.
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