Several soldiers of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) were arrested in Beni in North Kivu Province after intelligence implicated them in planned assassinations of fellow soldiers. The arrested soldiers had been aiding and colluding with the Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) in the region a group that has been on a violent campaign.
Intelligence that led to the arrested revealed that the ISCAP militants have been paying the soldiers and that the planned assassinations were expected to target soldiers who denounce the ADF collaborators and who direct the military operations against ISCAP both in North Kivu and Ituri provinces in DRC.
The arrests come as the affected region have been placed under a state of Seige by President Felix Tshisekedi who declared that the military and police officers would take over civil authorities. The military siege is expected to aid in the CT operations against ISCAP and operations against rebel groups that have been causing insecurity in Ituri and North Kivu.
In the past months, the military in Beni has been accused of corruption and facilitating the growth of ISCAP, and as such the arrests come at an appropriate time. The group has been making both local and international headlines with attacks on the military and civilian population and boasting and showcasing its growing might in the region. Rooting out the corrupt military officials can be viewed as an inaugural step towards rebuilding trust between the military and locals who have accused the military of not protecting them.
Seeing as ISCAP has been on a campaign to consolidate territory in both provinces, the arrest of the soldiers will help in activating CT strategies that will work better and prevent the group from amercing more territory as well as prevent foreign soldiers from reaching the training camps in Rwenzori and Virunga and Erengeti.
