The UN Panel of Experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) once again denounces Rwanda’s support for the M23 rebels, while the Congolese government is accused of training and arming local armed groups. This proxy conflict in eastern Congo continues to worsen and no one sees a way out.
Image of Rwandan troops in the DRC and Colonel Gady, member of a militia allied to Kinshasa © DR-UN
The UN reports on the Congolese conflict follow one another and are similar. The latest intervention by the UN group of experts on the security situation in the DRC reminds once again of the endless war that Rwanda and the DRC are waging through armed groups. The report indicates first of all that, after several months of calm on the North Kivu front, the M23 “ remained master » of its strategic positions and even “ he reconquered the lost territories and conquered others » since the resumption of fighting in October 2023 against the Congolese army (FARDC) and armed groups affiliated with it. The rebellion resumed Kitchanga on 21 October, recaptured several locations in the Tongo region, at Rutshuru, and advanced further north, taking control of Bambo. UN experts also note that the M23” continued to strengthen its military capacity, in particular through recruitment and training, including the organization of military refresher courses “, as in Tshanzu in May 2023. Surrendering M23 members indicated that the objective of the rebellion was ” take control of the airports of Kavumu, Goma and Bukavu, in particular by infiltrating the cities ».
New evidence of Rwandan aid to M23
But what the UN report underlines above all is ” ongoing support » from the Rwandan army to the M23, even though Kigali continued, report after report, to deny any support for the rebellion and any troop presence in the DRC. Yet the team obtained new evidence, including aerial images and photos,” direct interventions and troop reinforcements » Rwandans in Congo, in particular in the territories of Masisi, Rutshuru and Nyiragongo, the three territories under the rule of the M23. The presence of Rwandan soldiers was also confirmed to the UN by members of the East African Community (EAC) Regional Force, of which Rwanda is part. In October 2023, during the resumption of hostilities, the UN report notes the presence of Rwandan soldiers belonging to five battalions, “ supported by several tactical support and reconnaissance teams comprising a total of 250 former FDLR combatants and operating under the command of the Rwanda Defense Intelligence Service “. Another proof of Rwandan intervention in Congo, the use of weapons” high technology “, such as laser-guided 120 mm mortars, ” which have never been found in the territory of the Democratic Republic of Congo, nor in the arsenal of the FARDC ».
The FARDC recruits auxiliaries
Armed groups in Kinshasa
This coordination between the Wazalendo armed groups and the FARDC has made it possible to create the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), i.e. 8,000 Wazalendo fighters under the command of Janvier Karairi Boingo of the Alliance of Patriots for a Free and Sovereign Congo (APCLS) . and Guidon Shimiray Mwisa. Ironically, these armed groups, now allies of Kinshasa, fought the regular army in the territories under their control. The report states that the Wazalendo were able to benefit from support in arms, logistics and money, through Colonel Christophe Kenge, territorial military administrator of Masisi, and Colonel Salomon Tokolonga, in violation of the arms embargo. Despite the offensives launched by the Wazalendo in the autumn of 2023, Kinshasa failed to regain the positions occupied by the M23, which took advantage of this to extend its control zone to Rutshuru, Masisi and Nyiragongo.
1,070 Burundian soldiers and foreign mercenaries
The Wazalendo armed groups are not the only supporters of the Congolese army. The UN report notes discreet assistance from the Burundi National Defense Forces (FNDB), which M23 accuses of fighting alongside the FARDC under the banner of the East African Community (EAC) regional force which recently concluded his mission in Congo. Experts reveal that 1,070 Burundian soldiers in FARDC uniform were deployed.” secretly » in autumn in the Sake and Kitchnaga area « outside the framework of the East African Community Regional Force “. A deployment that was supposed to protect Goma from a possible incursion by the M23. Bujumbura refuted the report’s accusations. Finally, the presence of two private military companies, Agemira RDC and Congo Protection, was widely documented. Congo Protection, for example , oversaw artillery attacks against M23 and RDF positions, ordered by the FARDC on strategic advice from Agemira DRC. However, requests from the Congolese army to deploy these private soldiers to combat zones were all rejected. These two companies they essentially provided logistical assistance for troop transport or military planning.
Security error
This latest UN report demonstrates once again the complexity of the Congolese security network and its stratification: more than 200 armed groups, foreign armed groups, peacekeepers, Congolese army, refugees… Re-elected for a second term, the president Félix Tshisekedi has never managed to control the conflict. All his attempts to try to restore stability in the east of the country have failed: state of siege, bilateral agreements with Uganda and Burundi, East African Regional Force, negotiations, Wazalendo… The attempts of the head of state regarding security have never held fruit. The number of armed groups has doubled in five years, the range of action of the ADF, affiliated to the Islamic State, or the M23 has expanded, and the number of internally displaced people today stands at 7 million, a record never reached in Congo .
SADC in the dark
After the failure of the EAC Regional Force, President Tshisekedi is now counting on the new SADC (Southern African Development Community) military mission to try to put an end to the M23. The first units began their deployment on December 15, but no one really knows whether their mandate will be offensive or not. The passivity of the EAC and MONUSCO soldiers in the face of the M23 rebels was the main criticism aimed at the Congolese authorities and the population who had pushed for the departure of these two military missions. The text framing the new force remains very vague and does not explicitly refer to the offensive nature of the force. The SADC press release says nothing more about whether or not it will fight the M23 in the field. The fact remains that the soldiers of Malawi, South Africa and Tanzania are for the moment Félix Tshisekedi’s only hope in trying to bring the M23 to its knees. During the December election campaign, the presidential candidate reiterated his promise to bring peace to the East.
Nangaa is a game changer
In the event of another military failure, the Congolese president will surely have no choice but to attempt negotiations with the armed group, something he has always refused, calling M23 a terrorist group. If politically the dialogue with the rebels promises to be very delicate, recently the equation has become more complex with the creation of a political-military platform created by the former head of the Electoral Commission, Corneille Nangaa, and the M23. The rebels’ goal was to rely on a recognized Congolese personality to negotiate with Kinshasa from a more political point of view. But for the moment it is not the time for dialogue on the part of the Congolese authorities who want to use all possible military options to eradicate the rebel group.
Christophe Rigaud – Africarabia
2024-01-07 18:38:19
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