North Kivu: Suspension of Salaries for Agents Remaining in Goma

A Radical Decision by the Military Governor

General-major Evariste Somo Kakule, military governor of North Kivu, has announced the technical leave of the province’s executives and civil servants who have not yet moved to Beni. Beni, which has become the provisional capital of North Kivu, is now home to the provincial administration. This decision, taken for reasons of force majeure, was formalized in a circular published on Monday March 31, 2025.

Reorganization of the Provincial Administration

Since his appointment, the military governor has transferred his administration to Beni, following the fall of Goma to the rebels. However, not all civil servants followed this move, which led to them being placed on technical leave.

Suspension of Reciprocal Obligations

In a memo addressed to members of his cabinet, heads of public services and managers and staff of the provincial administration, the governor justifies this measure by the need to rationalize personnel management and deal with budgetary constraints. He recalls that the province is partly occupied by Rwandan-backed AFC-M23 forces.

According to the circular, the period of technical leave entails the suspension of obligations between employer and employees, meaning that the agents concerned will no longer receive their salaries during this period. However, the note specifies that managers and agents who have not pledged allegiance to the occupying forces will continue to benefit from medical care.

Conclusion

Faced with security instability and budgetary challenges, the military governor of North Kivu has taken a drastic step to reorganize the provincial administration. The technical leave taken by the staff who remained in Goma illustrates the complexity of managing a province in crisis, while raising questions about the social and economic consequences for the civil servants concerned. The situation in South Sudan could regain positive momentum and initiate a lasting end to the crisis.