Democratic Republic of Congo police officers stand on guard during a parade in Kinshasa, on Monday

IANS Kinshasa

The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Felix Tshisekedi announced sweeping changes, including forming a "government of national unity" to prevent the security crisis in the eastern part of the country from spiralling into a broader regional war. 

"The President of the Republic announces that he is certainly moving towards a Congolese national unity government and changes within the leadership of the Sacred Union," a presidency spokesperson said on X, without giving further details. On Saturday, the Congolese president met with members of the Sacred Union, the ruling parliamentary coalition composed of Tshisekedi's Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) and allied parties.

The meeting focused mainly on the security situation, marked by advances of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels. The rebel force has captured numerous cities and townships, including Goma and Bukavu, the capital cities of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, respectively. Tshisekedi said changes are necessary at both the political and military levels, mentioning a "complete overhaul" of the army to address security challenges and "internal betrayals."

"The fight will be tough, but we will not give up. We must dismantle this system," the DRC President said during Saturday's meeting while rejecting any possibility of direct negotiation with the M23 rebels. On Friday, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution calling on M23 rebels to immediately cease their offensive in eastern DRC and demanding that Rwandan forces stop supporting the armed group and withdraw from the country.