M23 to Kinshasa: “The sooner we communicate, the sooner peace is achieved”

Eastern DR Congo has been unstable for decades due to persistent governance failures, corruption, and broken promises. According to Bertrand Bisimwa, deputy coordinator of the AFC/M23 rebellion, the government in Kinshasa has not only failed to dismantle the “more than 200 armed groups ravaging our land,” but has frequently actively encouraged their existence for political and financial gain.

“What you see here is just a glimpse of the suffering that the people of eastern DR Congo have endured for over 30 years,” Bisimwa wrote in a post on X. Under the direct command of Mr. Tshisekedi Tshilombo, our group, Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23), never stops reminding the world of the savagery committed by the Kinshasa regime’s coalition troops.

Contrary to what Western histories sometimes assert, the AFC-M23 did not take up arms out of avarice or a desire for power. This conflict was imposed on us; we did not initiate it. We refuse to recognize the fact that peace has never really existed in Eastern Congo as a permanent state. We work for governance that benefits the people, not just a select group of elites like Tshisekedi’s family and friends, and for peace and stability.

In order to continue demonizing AFC/M23, Bisimwa presented information that were kept secret from the public.

Bringing Goma’s order back

On January 27, the rebels took control of Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province, and restored order after intense combat sparked by persistent violations of an earlier ceasefire by the Congolese army coalition. Following their takeover of Goma, hundreds of government soldiers surrendered and joined the rebels.

“Where there was no law and order, we have restored it since the liberation of Goma in January,” Bisimwa stated. Children have gone back to school, businesses have reopened, and our troops are on the streets day and night to keep everyone safe.

We have been successful in guaranteeing the freedom of movement of people and their property, in contrast to the Congolese government, “which failed its people.”

After seeing Goma earlier this month, former Belgian senator Alain Destexhe reported that he found the city to be calm and that people were going about their daily lives as usual.

The M23 forces’ reputation as uncorruptible, according to Destexhe, “marks a clear break with the previous situation.”

“Drivers no longer fall prey to police racketeering and now obey red lights.” The city’s cleanliness is another notable improvement. It was cleared of trash during the Salongo, a community service project that the new government organized.

Bisimwa emphasized that it is well known that AFC/M23-liberated areas strictly adhere to the duties deriving from the Geneva Conventions and supplementary Protocols, which safeguard hospitals and other civilian infrastructure.

In reference to “people who, for years, were trapped in miserable camps while their suffering was exploited by international agencies and local actors who profit from endless displacement,” Bisimwa stated that thousands of internally displaced persons have already made their way back to their homes.

Put an end to the silent genocide

The rebel movement is working for governance that protects all Congolese residents, upholds fundamental human rights, and tackles the underlying causes of war. Among other evils, it has pledged to eradicate the genocide mindset, corruption, nepotism, and tribalism that are pervasive in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“We have stopped hate speech and acts of cannibalism, put an end to the silent genocide, and encouraged peaceful coexistence among communities in the liberated areas,” Bisimwa stated.

“We implore everyone to reject damaging falsehoods and to understand the situation as it really is. The claims that AFC-M23 has violated human rights are untrue. For example, it is easily verifiable that the mass rapes of female inmates had place before to AFC-M23’s arrival in Goma.

Bisimwa admitted that there are a lot of obstacles in the way.

“We do not assert that decades of state neglect can be reversed in a single day,” he continued. However, we’re dedicated to making a difference.

“War has never been our first option, but we are not scared to fight for our lives. Any political discussion that tackles the underlying causes of this war and opens the door to a sustainable peace in our nation has been categorically rejected by the Kinshasa dictatorship. Talk is the first step toward peace. Peace will materialize sooner if we communicate.

In addition to refusing to engage in dialogue with the rebels, referring to them as “terrorists,” Kinshasa has demonstrated a lack of interest in regional and international initiatives that would assist the nation in achieving long-term peace and stability, as evidenced by Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi’s absence from important meetings.

In 2021, fighting broke out between the M23 rebels and the Congolese army coalition.

The rebels have joined the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), a broader rebel group formed in December 2023 and headed by Corneille Nangaa, the former head of the national election commission (CENI) of the Democratic Republic of Congo.