Fardc dismisses claims of community persecution, warns M23 over identity manipulation

The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) have strongly rejected accusations leveled by the AFC/M23 politico-military movement regarding the security situation in eastern DR Congo, particularly allegations of persecution targeting the Banyamulenge (Tutsi) community. The denials came after a press conference held last week in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.

In a statement released on Monday, June 22, 2026, signed by Lieutenant-Colonel Mak Hazukay Mongba, interim spokesperson for the FARDC, the Congolese army accused the rebel movement of waging a “campaign of propaganda and disinformation” aimed at discrediting state institutions and diverting attention from the coalition’s own role in the aggression against the DRC, as well as from the serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights regularly attributed to it.

The FARDC described the allegations of massacres, exterminations, or persecutions targeting specific Congolese communities as “completely baseless.” They argued that these accusations are intended to obscure the coalition’s responsibility for the conflict ravaging eastern DRC.

“The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo categorically reject the accusations of alleged massacres, exterminations, or persecutions directed against any Congolese community. These allegations are unfounded. They come as multiple reports from the United Nations and international human rights organizations have documented serious violations attributed to the RDF-AFC/M23 Coalition, including summary executions, killings of civilians, abductions, forced recruitment, sexual violence, forced displacement, and other grave breaches of international humanitarian law,” the statement said.

The FARDC considers these accusations to be “false” and “cynical,” aimed at distorting reality and shielding the coalition from accountability. They also strongly denounced what they called an attempt by the RDF-AFC/M23 Coalition to manipulate community identities and linguistic affiliations in order to sow division among Congolese people.

According to the Congolese army, this campaign seeks to artificially pit the populations of eastern DRC against their compatriots from other provinces, with the goal of weakening national unity and furthering the coalition’s political and military objectives.

“This campaign aims, among other things, to artificially oppose the Congolese populations living in the eastern part of the country to their fellow citizens from other provinces, in order to weaken national cohesion and serve the political and military goals of this coalition. The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo recall that they are a national, republican, and inclusive army, composed of Congolese men and women from all provinces of the country,” the FARDC stated.

The FARDC further reminded that the primary victims of the war of aggression waged by the RDF-AFC/M23 Coalition remain the Congolese populations of the eastern provinces. They noted that for years, these communities have endured the direct consequences of insecurity, forced displacement, abuses, and human rights violations linked to the activities of the coalition and its allies.

According to the FARDC, the suffering of these populations cannot be exploited for a disinformation campaign or used to turn them against their compatriots elsewhere. The army stressed that it continues operations in line with its constitutional mandate to protect these communities, ensure their security, and preserve the country’s territorial integrity.

“The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo warn against any campaign of propaganda, disinformation, or incitement to hatred likely to compromise national cohesion, the security of the population, and efforts to restore peace in areas affected by the aggression,” the document said.

The FARDC added: “The FARDC remain fully committed to fulfilling their constitutional mission of defending territorial integrity, protecting the population, and neutralizing any hostile force threatening national sovereignty. They will not be distracted by disinformation campaigns or manipulation attempts aimed at weakening the national resolve in the face of aggression.”

The latest response from the FARDC comes at a time of ongoing tensions between Kinshasa and the AFC/M23, as hostilities persist in eastern DRC. On June 18, at a press conference in Goma, movement leaders accused the Congolese government of repeatedly violating the ceasefire and highlighted a dire humanitarian situation in several localities in the High Plateau region of South Kivu province.

The AFC/M23 coordinator, Corneille Nangaa, specifically blamed President Félix Tshisekedi’s regime. He alleged that military operations in the area were aimed at exterminating the Banyamulenge community through the use of armed drones and reflected a desire to challenge their place within the Democratic Republic of the Congo.