The AFC/M23, through its political coordinator Corneille Nangaa, on Thursday condemned what it called an “irresponsible” and “warlike” speech by President Félix Tshisekedi in Houston, United States, delivered before a segment of the Congolese community after the DR Congo-Portugal World Cup match. The Congolese head of state had addressed the security situation in the east, vowing an imminent recapture of areas under the control of this politico-military movement.
Speaking on Thursday 18 June 2026 in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, Corneille Nangaa reiterated his movement’s willingness to defend itself against threats from Kinshasa. He expressed bewilderment at the international community’s response to Tshisekedi’s attitude, saying such inaction borders on complicity, especially since the international community is allegedly aware of the ground situation where government forces are conducting intense attacks in violation of commitments and ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalating the conflict.
“Faced with this dramatic situation and the ensuing calamities, we have a responsibility before God, history and the nation to note this deafening silence from the mediation and partners in the peace process, which borders on complicity. Especially since the international community has detailed information about the reality on the ground, the massive toll of civilian victims and the perpetrators of these crimes,” Corneille Nangaa fumed.
He continued:
“The mediators of the Doha peace talks, diplomatic missions, international agencies and human rights organisations are informed of the continued deterioration of the security and humanitarian situation in the region in general, and particularly in the Hauts-Plateaux de Minembwe. This lack of action reinforces the sense of impunity and encourages the continuation of violence.”
Mr. Nangaa also denounced what he sees as a tendency to downplay the security situation in eastern DRC. According to him, Félix Tshisekedi keeps undermining peace efforts under the helpless gaze of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s partners.
“We refuse to let the suffering of the populations of eastern Congo be treated as a peripheral tragedy taking place, as they often say, more than 2,000 kilometres from Kinshasa. Every human life deserves the same protection and consideration. We draw everyone’s attention to the numerous obstacles, deceptions, manipulations, juggling and intrigues on the part of Mr. Félix Tshisekedi and his international partners, who constantly gravely compromise peace efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” lamented the political coordinator of this politico-military movement.
He added:
“The reinforcement of military deployments and the continuous deployment of new forces on the ground are antithetical to a sincere de-escalation process. Many commitments made under the peace process remain dead letters. While several hundred prisoners of war have been released by the AFC/M23 as a confidence-building measure, the reciprocal commitments expected from the Kinshasa regime have not been implemented at all.”
This fresh war of words between Kinshasa, represented by Félix Tshisekedi, and the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebellion comes amid diplomatic efforts, including the Washington accords and the Doha process, aimed at establishing a lasting ceasefire and restarting dialogue between the parties to the conflict that has rocked eastern DRC for years. However, these initiatives have yet to yield tangible results on the ground, where hostilities continue between the rebellion and government forces.
Faced with this situation, voices continue to be raised at the national, regional and international levels calling on all parties to respect the commitments made under the peace initiatives. Yet these appeals have so far had no notable effect. The goal of bridging the persistent gap between ground realities and diplomatic progress on paper remains elusive. Each side continues to interpret the provisions of the accords according to its own reading, making their implementation ever more uncertain.
