With our correspondent in Kinshasa, Kamanda wa Kamanda Muzembe

According to the military prosecutor of Ituri province, three senior officers have been arrested. Colonel Joseph Makelele Mukenge declined to provide the names and ranks of the officers implicated, as well as the amount of money they embezzled, the case still being under investigation at the military prosecutor's office, according to him.

But our sources speak of a lieutenant-colonel and two majors, responsible for administration and payroll in certain units, including the regiment based in Boga, in Irumu territory, whose personnel conduct operations against the ADF, these Ugandan rebels who also roam the Beni area, in North Kivu.

These mafia practices were denounced by President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi during his visit to Bunia. He promised to crack down hard to restore order in the army's ranks. By inflating troop numbers under their command, these military leaders benefit from the surplus in pay. According to some observers who prefer to remain anonymous, the complicity of mafia networks extends up to higher levels.

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