The rebellion in Congo’s east, known as the M23, has reinforced its power over the territory it has controlled for over five months, by setting up, what a U.N chief has described as, a parallel government.

U.N peace keeping chief, Herve Ladsous, denounced what he called a parallel government , warning of the risk of escalating the conflict and stating that “the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of Congo has to be respected.”

Describing the situation to reporters in New York, Ladsous said

“They are already establishing a sort of de facto administration controlling population, taking ‘taxes’ from people who pass through, and that of course is hardly acceptable.”

Defending the rebel actions, the military leader of the M23, Col.Sultani Makenga said,

“We did not set up a parallel administration. When you wage war, when you occupy territory, you have to administrate it, control it, and secure it,”

Denying that the administration is the first step to creating a separate country, Makenga outlined the temporary nature of the arrangement stating, “If the government can resolve the problems we’ve raised, we will end our movement.”

The rebellion started in April after a group of senior regular army commanders , who were once members of the Rwanda backed National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), defected from the army.

Following 3 months of fighting against their former comrades, the rebel M23 group took control of the Rutshuru territory, which borders Rwanda and Uganda.