Fardc dismiss community extermination claims, warn against afc/m23 identity manipulation in eastern drc

The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) have firmly 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. These 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, signed by Lieutenant-Colonel Mak Hazukay Mongba, interim spokesperson for the FARDC, the Congolese army accuses the rebel movement of running a “propaganda and disinformation campaign” aimed at discrediting state institutions and diverting attention from the coalition’s role in the aggression war against the DRC, as well as from the serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights regularly attributed to it.

According to the FARDC, allegations of massacres, exterminations, or persecutions targeting specific Congolese communities are “completely unfounded.” The army believes these accusations are intended to mask the responsibilities of the AFC/M23 coalition in the conflict gripping 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 entirely baseless. They come at a time when multiple UN reports and international human rights organizations have documented serious violations attributed to the RDF-AFC/M23 coalition, including summary executions, civilian killings, abductions, forced recruitment, sexual violence, forced displacement, and other grave breaches of international humanitarian law,” the statement read.

The FARDC considers these “false” and “cynical” accusations as an attempt to distort reality and shield the coalition from accountability. They also strongly denounce what they describe as an effort by the RDF-AFC/M23 coalition to manipulate community identities and linguistic affiliations to sow division among Congolese citizens.

According to the Congolese army, this campaign aims to artificially pit populations in eastern DRC against their compatriots in other provinces, weakening national cohesion to serve the coalition’s political and military objectives.

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

Furthermore, the FARDC notes that the primary victims of the aggression war led by the RDF-AFC/M23 coalition remain the Congolese populations in the eastern provinces. For years, these communities have suffered directly from insecurity, forced displacement, abuses, and human rights violations linked to the coalition’s activities and its allies.

The army emphasizes that the suffering endured by these populations cannot be exploited for a disinformation campaign or to set them against compatriots in other provinces. The FARDC underscores that it is precisely to ensure their protection, guarantee their safety, and preserve national territorial integrity that it continues its operations in line with its constitutional mission.

“The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo warn against any propaganda, disinformation, or hate speech campaign that could compromise national cohesion, population security, and efforts to restore peace in areas affected by the aggression,” the document stated.

It added:

“The FARDC remain fully committed to fulfilling their constitutional mission of defending territorial integrity, protecting populations, and neutralizing any hostile force threatening national sovereignty. They will not be distracted by disinformation campaigns or manipulation attempts designed to weaken 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, movement leaders accused the Congolese government of repeated ceasefire violations and highlighted a worrying humanitarian situation in several localities in the Hauts-Plateaux region of South Kivu province.

AFC/M23 coordinator Corneille Nangaa specifically blamed President Félix Tshisekedi’s regime for the situation. According to him, military operations in the area aim to exterminate the Banyamulenge community through the use of armed drones and reflect a desire to challenge their belonging to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.