The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, President Félix Tshisekedi, caused confusion on Thursday when he named a deceased Army commander who died in 2011 as the head of a new formation as he continues to create reforms in the country’s military.
In a presidential decree read on national television, RTNC, the late officer, l Maj-Gen Floribert Kisembo, was named as the new head of military operations in North Equateur Province, in the north western region of the country, among other appointments.
But the announcement draw a lot of condemnation when it was discovered that Kisembo was killed on May, 2011, by the Congolese army in a battle that took place in Lonyo, a village north of Bunia.
According to Col Fal Sikabwe who was then commander of the Forces armées de la république démocratique du Congo
(FARDC) operational zone in Ituri in eastern DRC, who was interviewed by a media platform affiliated to the UN Mission in the DRC, Radio Okapi, Gen. Kisembo who was a deserter was seriously injured in the fighting and later died from his injuries.
“The troops of the 4th FARDC brigade attacked the maquis of Gen Floribert Kisembo Bahemuka on May 1, 2011. He was seriously injured and later died from the wounds,” Sikwabe said.
“The deserter general Floribert Kisembo had tried to form a rebellion against the national armed forces of the country but he was taken put in the fighting took place in Lonyo, a village north of Bunia.
“He was the former leader of the UPC militia and dissident of Thomas Lubanga,” he added.
After Sikwabe’s interview and the outrage the announcement had caused in the country, the communication office of Tshisekedi released a statement attributing the error to the news anchor’s accent.
The statement said the mistake was a mispronunciation on the part of the news presenter.
“The journalist pronounced Kisembo instead of Kisebwe,” the statement said, referring to General Isaac Kisebwe, who was also promoted.
However, the presenter who was also interviewed, insisted that she read the names exactly as they were written.
She said the first, last and middle names of the late Major General were clearly spelt out and that she had mispronounced the names exactly as they were in the decree.