2012-07-11
Xinhua
The governor of North Kivu province in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) affirmed on Tuesday that Rutshuru locality as well as Kiwanja town, 70 km from Goma, were under the control of governmental forces.

The governor, Julien Paluku, said that the DR Congo Armed Forces (FARDC) managed to recapture the towns on Sunday after the withdrawal of the M23 fighters on the same day that they had captured them.

"I can confirm that in Kiwanja, just like in Rutshuru, our services have been deployed there. We have sent there our police and army. At the moment, we are in the process of restoring all our services in the two towns," he declared.

"It's only the territorial administrator who is not there but he will be sent to central Rutshuru in the coming hours," Paluku continued while at the same time reiterating the determination of the Congolese authorities to restore law and order in the two territories.

In addition, he urged economic operators not to pay taxes for their goods at the Bunagana border post which is still under the control of the mutineers.

"I want to warn all economic operators who use Bunagana border post that they should not pay any taxes to the mutineers. They will pay triple when they arrive in Goma. They should instead use other border posts at Ishasa, Kasindi and Tchanika," the provincial governor said.