KINSHASA (Reuters) – Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi has replaced the chief of staff of the armed forces and dozens of other senior military figures in one of the biggest shake-ups of its kind in recent years, state television said on Thursday.
The presidential order read by the broadcaster did not give a reason for the removal of armed forces chief Christian Tshiwewe Songesha, who has been replaced by Lieutenant-General Jules Banza Mwilambwe.
Others replaced include the head of military intelligence and most of Democratic Republic of Congo’s commanding officers including those in charge of security operations in the volatile east, which since 2022 has been further destabilised by the M23 rebel insurgency.
The last significant military reshuffle took place in October 2022, when Tshisekedi appointed Tshiwewe as chief of staff as part of broader defence reforms that his office said were aimed at boosting efficiency.
Fighting has flared recently in eastern North Kivu province in violation of a ceasefire agreement, while hopes of an imminent deal with neighbouring Rwanda to curb the M23 conflict have dimmed.
Congo and the United Nations accuse Rwanda of backing M23 with its own troops and weapons. Rwanda denies this.
(Reporting by Stanis Bujakera and Sonia Rolley; Additional reporting Yassin Kombi; Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Sandra Maler)
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