Democratic Republic of Congo’s national police have continued arresting innocent civilians whom they have accused of colluding with the M23 rebels.
After sentencing of 26 people to death by a military court last week in Kinshasa, the attention is now turning to the eastern region of the country.
According to several sources, arrests have been made in Beni and Butembo, in North Kivu, including local opposition political leaders.
Among those arrested was Mbusa Sivuliamwinge, the leader of the Alliance of Democratic Forces of Congo (AFDC) political party in Butembo.
He was arrested by the intelligence services on July 24, 2024 and is accused of recruiting young people and organizing meetings to encourage them to join the M23 in northeastern DRC.
Patrick Tsiko, former deputy mayor of Butembo, North Kivu, was also arrested the same day, as was Fabrice Kakurusi, a local civil society activist.
In Beni, other arrests took place, including that of Kambale Amani, described as one of the main M23 recruiters in the region. According to security sources, he is the focal point of the M23 and is said to have recruited and sent two people to undergo training as M23 political-military cadres in Niongera, in Rutshuru. One of these people, Nzanzu Valire Tshiani, was arrested upon his return to Beni.
