The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) strongly responded to statements made by leaders of the AFC/M23 politico-military movement regarding the security situation in eastern DRC and allegations of persecution against the Banyamulenge (Tutsi) community. Those accusations were raised during a press conference held last week in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.
In a statement released on Monday, June 22, 2026, and signed by Lieutenant Colonel Mak Hazukay Mongba, interim spokesperson for the FARDC, the Congolese army accused the rebel movement of running a ‘propaganda and disinformation campaign’ aimed at discrediting state institutions and diverting attention from the coalition’s responsibility in the war of aggression against the DRC, as well as serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights that are regularly attributed to it.
According to the FARDC, allegations of massacres, exterminations, or persecutions targeting any Congolese community are ‘completely unfounded.’ The army believes these accusations are intended to hide the responsibilities of the AFC/M23 coalition in the conflict that continues to shake eastern DRC.
‘The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo categorically reject accusations of alleged massacres, exterminations, or persecutions directed against any Congolese community. These allegations are completely baseless. They come at a time when multiple United Nations reports 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 violations of international humanitarian law,’ the statement said.
The FARDC considers these accusations ‘false’ and ‘cynical,’ aimed at distorting reality and shielding the coalition from accountability. They also strongly condemn what they call an attempt by the RDF-AFC/M23 coalition to exploit community identities and linguistic affiliations to sow division among Congolese.
According to the Congolese army, this campaign specifically seeks to artificially pit the populations of eastern DRC against their compatriots in other provinces, with the goal of weakening national unity and advancing the political and military objectives of the coalition.
‘This campaign specifically seeks to artificially pit the Congolese populations living in the east of the country against their compatriots 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 remind everyone that they are a national, republican, and inclusive army composed of men and women from all provinces of the country,’ the FARDC stated.
Furthermore, the FARDC emphasizes that the primary victims of the war of aggression waged by the RDF-AFC/M23 coalition are the Congolese populations in the eastern provinces. For years, these communities have endured the direct consequences of insecurity, forced displacement, abuses, and human rights violations linked to the activities of this coalition and its allies.
According to the FARDC, the suffering of these populations cannot be exploited for a disinformation campaign or to set them against compatriots in other provinces. The army stresses that it is precisely to protect them, ensure their safety, and preserve the country’s territorial integrity that it continues its operations in line with its constitutional mandate.
‘The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo warn against any propaganda, disinformation, or hate speech that could jeopardize national cohesion, the security of the population, and efforts to restore peace in areas affected by the aggression,’ the document stated.
‘The FARDC remains fully committed to fulfilling its 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.’
This latest statement from the FARDC comes amid ongoing tensions between Kinshasa and the AFC/M23, as well as continued hostilities in eastern DRC. On June 18, during a press conference in Goma, the movement’s leaders accused the Congolese government of repeatedly violating the ceasefire and denounced a worrying humanitarian situation in several localities of the Hauts-Plateaux in South Kivu province.
The coordinator of AFC/M23, Corneille Nangaa, specifically blamed the situation on the regime of President Félix Tshisekedi. According to him, military operations in the region aim to exterminate the Banyamulenge community through the use of armed drones, reflecting a desire to challenge their belonging to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
