DR Congo: Opposition candidate Moise Katumbi holds rally in Goma

Opposition candidate Moise Katumbi held an election rally in the city of Goma, in the DR Congo's northeastern region of North-Kivu on Thursday evening.

Moise was the first presidential candidate to campaign in the militia-plagued region, ahead of the election on December 20. 

He is one of more than two dozen candidates running for the presidency in the vast central African nation.

Security issues

Voters in the northeastern area of the country are frustrated by what they feel is a lack of action to tackle the dozens of armed rebel groups that have been present in the region for years. 

Katumbi has promised to prioritise security if he is elected. 

"We shall tackle that problem once and for all," Katumbi told the hundred of supporters attending Thursday's rally.

"As soon as I take over as president, I'm going to set up a special fund for North Kivu and Ituri," he said. "And you know how much this special fund will be? 5 billion US dollars."

A millionaire businessman

A millionaire businessman who previously served as governor of copper-rich Katanga province, Katumbi says that his track record in office qualifies him for the presidency.

"I have bought a house here in Goma. I shall not stay in a rented house," said Katumbi on Thursday. "I promise not to touch my salary not even a single day until North Kivu and Ituri are liberated."

His comments come a few days after a deal was signed between the DRC and the United Nations stabilisation mission in Congo (MONUSCO) to withdraw its 15,000 peacekeepers.