Several army and police officers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) have been arrested for treason.
This was announced by General Christian Tshiwewe Songesha, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) at a joint army-police parade at Camp Kokolo in Kinshasa on Monday.
“Army and police officers were arrested in Lubumbashi and are here in Kinshasa on charges of treason … You don’t have the right to betray your country. Anyone who does will pay in one way or another. You have no interest in collaborating with the enemy,” he told army and police units.
“Our motto is never to betray DR Congo. Our father is the President of the Republic, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi. Our mother is the Democratic Republic of Congo,” he added.
While warning against betrayal, the Chief of General Staff called on the defence and security forces to maintain their battle posture.
“We must stay on mission. Our country is at war, and an unjust war has been imposed on us. We must adopt the posture of battle, not distraction … Our posture is to fight, to protect civilians, not to make life difficult for them,” said General Tshiwewe.
Speaking about discipline, he urged them to behave like professionals. “You must behave like professionals. Don’t get involved in land disputes, don’t steal other people’s property, other people’s houses,” he warned.
At the end of March, members of former president Joseph Kabila’s Parti du Peuple pour la Reconstruction et la Démocratie (PPRD) appeared alongside the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) of Corneille Nangaa, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), who has joined the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels, at a meeting with rebel leaders.
