Congolese government troops are incorporated into M23’s ranks

Following the takeover of Goma, the capital of DR Congo’s North Kivu Province, in late January, hundreds of government soldiers signed up to join the AFC/M23 rebel group, according to rebel spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka.

On Tuesday, February 18, Kanyuka stated in an interview with The New Times that the government soldiers had been “victims” of the reign of President Felix Tshisekedi.

According to Kanyuka, who was in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, which the rebels also took on Saturday, “they are Congolese; they were used by Tshisekedi and his allies.” These people are citizens. They are Congolese who have been harmed by Tshisekedi and his regime. Integrating them into the revolutionary army was not an issue for us. Nothing is wrong at all.

Before joining the movement that rules North Kivu Province and a portion of South Kivu Province, the abducted government soldiers underwent rigorous training, according to Kanyuka. Gen. Sultani Makenga, the military head of M23, was recently spotted in North Kivu, visiting the former government soldiers undergoing training at Rumangabo military facilities. Makenga stated that the troops would receive training to become “a disciplined and non-tribalistic force.”

He assured them that since they were in the care of their compatriots, they had “nothing to worry about”

Significant losses have been incurred by the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) in the conflict with AFC/M23 insurgents since January. The FDLR is a terrorist militia based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that was established by the surviving masterminds of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide against the Tutsi. Other members of the FARDC coalition include European mercenaries, Burundian forces, troops from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and local militia groups known as Wazalendo.

On January 27, the rebels took Goma, and hundreds of European mercenaries surrendered after being granted safe passage via Rwanda to return home.

However, hundreds of SADC soldiers remain buried in rebel-held territory.

Countries in the East African Community (EAC) and SADC region should “come and see what is happening on the ground” in eastern DR Congo, according to Kanyuka, in order to comprehend why the rebels have turned to armed conflict.

The conflict between the M23 rebels and the Congolese army coalition began in 2021. In December 2023, M23 joined the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), a bigger rebel alliance that is striving for governance that protects all citizens, upholds fundamental human rights, and tackles the underlying causes of war. Among other vices, its authorities have pledged to eradicate the genocide doctrine, corruption, nepotism, and tribalism that are pervasive in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

SADC and Burundian forces should leave DR Congo and cease aiding the Tshisekedi in “ethnic cleansing,” Kanyuka demanded.

“I’m telling [SADC and EAC] to come and see for themselves what’s happening on the ground, to see how Tshisekedi is disseminating hate speech, how he is killing this country, and how his government is corrupt and dividing the Congolese [people] into factions,” he said.

There has been [cannibalization] of people. We are merely inviting people to visit and observe for themselves. After that, they can enjoy a vista. Why are people putting up with Tshisekedi killing us every day and telling us to stop fighting?

“We are defending ourselves, our families, and our people who are being killed every day; we are not fighting to overthrow the [Congolese] government. Consequently, they ought to back us.