The president of the civil society groups in North-Kivu province Thomas Acquin Mwiti on Friday appealed for the improvement of the security situation in the province, as the current situation risks hurting the national integrity of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).

"Due to the insecurity that reigns in Rutshuru territory in North-Kivu province, about ten non-governmental organizations have chosen to withdraw from the zone. On the ground, there are only two humanitarian organizations, notably the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)," Mwiti said when he addressed a press conference in Kinshasa.

He pointed out that 160 former fighters for the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP, ex-rebels) who had joined the DR Congo Armed Forces (FARDC), had quit the national army with a huge cache of weapons to join the M23 rebel movement which is loyal to the renegade army general Bosco Ntaganda.

Mwiti expressed fears that the M23 group may become bigger and conquer the eastern part of DR Congo, with an intention of balkanizing the country.

He urged the Congolese government to promote national unity and protect the territorial integrity, to use all possible means to avert the balkanization of DR Congo and to strictly identify the genuine soldiers who are fighting with the rest of the army to prevent the infiltration of the mutineers.