Congo replaces top military chief and other senior officers as fighting in its east rages on
Congolese state media says President Felix Tshisekedi has replaced the armed forces chief and several other top military officers in a major reshuffle amid the ongoing fight against rebels in the country’s eastern region
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi has replaced the armed forces chief and several other top military officers in a major reshuffle amid the ongoing fight against rebels in the country's eastern region, state media announced late Thursday.
The Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, Gen. Christian Tshiwewe, who has been in office since October 2022 during the last major shake-up, was replaced by Lt. Gen. Jules Banza Mwilambwe.
Congo’s military has been fighting more than 100 armed groups for years in the mineral-rich eastern region where the rebels are vying for a foothold in a conflict that has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. More than 7 million people have been displaced so far and hundreds were killed in the last year. Among the key actors is the M-23 rebel group, which Congo and United Nations peacekeepers have said is supported by neighboring Rwanda.
The state television report did not give reasons for the military reshuffle. Other key figures affected included Maj. Gen. Christian Ndaywel, who was the chief of military intelligence and among those involved in the peace talks with Rwanda.
The conflict in the region has worsened in the last year, with rebels claiming victories in new territories. Several territories in the region, particularly in the North Kivu province, are already under the control of the rebels.
Planned face-to-face peace talks between the leaders of Congo and Rwanda in Angola were canceled on Sunday with the Congolese presidency saying the Rwandan delegation refused to take part in the meeting while Rwanda’s government said it was postponed.