The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) have forcefully rejected accusations made by the AFC/M23 politico-military movement regarding the security situation in eastern DRC and allegations of persecution against the Banyamulenge Tutsi community.

In a strongly worded statement released this Monday, June 22, 2026, and signed by Lieutenant-Colonel Mak Hazukay Mongba, interim FARDC spokesperson, the Congolese army accused the rebel movement of conducting a « campaign of propaganda and disinformation » aimed at discrediting state institutions and diverting attention from the coalition’s responsibilities in the war of aggression against DRC, as well as its repeated violations of international humanitarian law and human rights.

According to the FARDC, accusations of massacres, extermination, or persecution targeting specific Congolese communities are « completely unfounded. » The military emphasizes that these claims are designed to obscure the responsibilities attributed to the AFC/M23 coalition in the ongoing conflict devastating eastern DRC.

« The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo categorically reject accusations of alleged massacres, extermination, or persecution targeting any Congolese community. These allegations are baseless. »

The statement highlights that multiple United Nations 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 of populations, and other grave violations of international humanitarian law.

The FARDC condemns these « false » and « cynical » accusations, which they describe as attempts to distort reality and evade responsibility. The military also strongly denounces what it calls the AFC/M23 coalition’s efforts to manipulate communal and linguistic identities to sow division among Congolese citizens.

« 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, » the FARDC stated. « The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo are a national, republican, and inclusive army composed of Congolese from all provinces. »

The military reiterates that civilians in eastern provinces remain the primary victims of the war of aggression waged by the RDF-AFC/M23 coalition. For years, these populations have endured insecurity, forced displacement, and human rights abuses linked to the coalition’s activities. The FARDC stresses that their suffering must not be exploited for disinformation campaigns or to pit them against fellow citizens in other provinces.

« The FARDC warns against any campaign of propaganda, disinformation, or incitement to hatred that could compromise national cohesion, public security, or peace restoration efforts in affected areas, » the statement concluded. « Our forces remain fully committed to their constitutional mission of defending territorial integrity, protecting populations, and neutralizing any hostile forces threatening national sovereignty. We will not be distracted by disinformation or manipulation attempts. »