The Military Governor of Ituri, Lieutenant-General Johnny Luboya Nkashama, has issued a blunt and emotional warning to President Félix Tshisekedi, exposing the grim reality facing Congolese soldiers deployed in the conflict-ridden northeastern province.
He made the televised appeal to the Commander-in-Chief, General Luboya denouncing the chronic neglect, under-resourcing, and lack of political support that he says is crippling the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) and threatening national security.
Appointed in May 2021, General Luboya has held the dual role of military commander and provincial governor under the state of siege framework.
But four years into his mandate, he says the experience has become one of the “most depressing and frustrating” of his military career.
“Our regiments are down to just 300 soldiers instead of the standard 1,200,” he revealed. “Troops are surviving on food rations that only last 15 days out of every 30. This is unsustainable and inhumane.”
General Luboya emphasized that such conditions are directly undermining military effectiveness in a province where dozens of heavily armed rebel groups, including CODECO and the ADF, continue to carry out massacres, displacements, and terror against civilians.
“This situation severely demoralizes soldiers who are already risking their lives every day on the battlefield. These men and women in uniform also have families to feed — they cannot be treated this way,” he said.
“We will never achieve victory through indulgence and embezzlement, but through hard work, seriousness, and discipline.”
Despite the general’s commitment and experience, he has had to lead an army with insufficient supplies, poorly trained troops, and minimal political backing. The lack of air support, delayed logistics, and absence of a comprehensive strategy from Kinshasa have left frontline units stretched thin and increasingly vulnerable.
“The entire operation is being destabilized. We are asking our forces to confront well-armed enemies while starving and unsupported. How can that bring order?” he asked.
So far, there has been no official response from the Presidency.
However, General Luboya’s unusually frank remarks are expected to intensify pressure on the central government to overhaul its military strategy, crack down on corruption, and provide genuine support to troops deployed in eastern Congo.
The message from Ituri is clear: unless immediate action is taken, the very soldiers tasked with defending the Republic could be rendered too broken, too abandoned — and ultimately, too defeated — to win.
