Vivian van de Perre, deputy special representative of the UN stabilization mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, told the Security Council on Thursday that the conflict was spreading beyond North and South Kivu to Tshopo province, located far from the epicenter of the conflict.
The security situation in South Kivu remained tense despite the withdrawal of the AFC/M23 from Uvira in January, however Vivan van de Perre indicates that "the resumption of hostilities has led to an extension and a shift of the front lines".
“The recent hostilities between the government and the AFC/M23 have also been marked by an increasing use of offensive drones, as well as the ongoing jamming and falsification of GPS signals. Two worrying developments have emerged in this regard. First, the conflict is spreading beyond North Kivu and South Kivu into Tshopo province, which is far from the epicenter of the conflict. Second, the use of these means in urban areas raises serious concerns about the risks to civilians and civilian infrastructure, including recent incidents affecting sites such as Bangoka Airport in Kisangani and the city of Goma,” said Vivian van de Perre, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Protection and Operations with the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Acting Head of MONUSCO.
The extension of the conflict between my Congolese armed forces and the rebels of the AFC M23 movement , " particularly towards the Burundian border, increases the risk of a regional conflagration."
