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Protesters demanded Gasita’s removal, accusing him of having collaborated with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels during the seizure of Bukavu last February.
In the war-torn DRC, Citizens protested against the recent appointment of General Olivier Gasita Mukunda as deputy commander of the 33rd military region of the DRC’s Armed Forces (FARDC). Protesters demanded Gasita’s removal, accusing him of having collaborated with the Rwanda – backed M23 rebels during the seizure of Bukavu last February.
Waving banners, signs, and national flags, demonstrators chanted slogans against General Gasita before submitting a memorandum to the local authorities addressed to President Felix Tshisekedi.
Located in South Kivu, Uvira is currently under the control of a coalition formed by the FARDC and Wazalendo militias. Mapenzi Manyebwa, the president of the Uvira Civil Society Synergy, fears that Gasita’s appointment is a sign that authorities are willing to “hand over the city to the rebels.”
Police and the army oversaw the march, which proceeded peacefully until warning shots were fired during the demonstration’s dispersal, causing panic. Civil society reports at least four deaths and several injuries, a toll not yet confirmed by local authorities.
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The FARDC had already called for calm last weekend, warning against any manipulation orchestrated by enemies and reaffirming their support for the contested officer.
