Is Tshisekedi's state of emergency a cover-up? Congolese President Tshisekedi's decision to declare a "state of siege" in two eastern DR Congo provinces has already resulted in a backlash. But the government says it is necessary to eliminate armed groups. Dozens of armed groups have operated for years in the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) North Kivu and Ituri provinces, and civilians have been subjected to horrifying massacres. Armed militias and inter-communal violence have killed more than 300 people so far in 2021. Presidential spokesman Tharsice Kasongo Mwema said on Tuesday that the two provinces would be declared under siege for 30 days starting on Thursday May 6.