KINSHASA, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Humanitarian aid delivery to Uvira, the provisional capital of South Kivu Province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has been temporarily suspended over security and coordination concerns, South Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi has announced.
Uvira was designated as the provisional capital after the provincial capital, Bukavu, fell to the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group in February, according to an official statement released Wednesday following a joint meeting of the provincial government and the provincial security council held in Uvira.
"Following consultations with our hierarchy and humanitarian partners, we have agreed to delay the delivery of assistance until safeguards are in place to reassure all stakeholders and to verify that the aid poses no threat to the population," read the statement.
The suspension comes amid growing tensions between the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and local community-based groups in the region.
For months, South Kivu has seen intensified clashes between the FARDC, supported by local self-defense groups, and the M23 rebels. The ongoing conflict has severely hindered humanitarian operations, already strained by insecurity and communal divisions. ■
