Eastern drc: fardc dismisses community extermination allegations, warns against afc/m23 identity manipulation

The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) strongly rebuffed statements made by leaders of the AFC/M23 politico-military group concerning the security situation in the eastern part of the country. The allegations of persecution against the Banyamulenge (Tutsi) community were raised during a press conference held last week in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.

In a communiqué released on Monday, June 22, 2026, signed by Lieutenant-Colonel Mak Hazukay Mongba, the interim FARDC spokesperson, the Congolese army accused the rebel coalition of waging a “propaganda and disinformation campaign.” The army stated that the campaign aims to undermine state institutions and divert attention from the coalition’s role in the ongoing aggression against the DRC, as well as the serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights regularly attributed to it.

According to the FARDC, the accusations of massacres, exterminations, or persecutions targeting any Congolese community are “completely unfounded.” The military believes these claims are intended to obscure the responsibility of the AFC/M23 coalition in the conflict destabilizing 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 devoid of any foundation. They come as numerous reports from the United Nations and international human rights organizations have documented grave violations attributed to the RDF-AFC/M23 Coalition, including summary executions, killings of civilians, abductions, forced recruitment, sexual violence, forced displacement of populations, and other serious breaches of international humanitarian law,” the statement denounced.

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

According to the Congolese army, this campaign is designed to artificially pit populations in the east against their fellow citizens from other provinces, with the goal of weakening national cohesion and serving the political and military objectives of the coalition.

“This campaign specifically 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 advance 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 women and men from all provinces of the country,” the FARDC stated.

Furthermore, the FARDC stressed that the primary victims of the aggression led by the RDF-AFC/M23 coalition remain the Congolese people living 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 coalition’s activities and its allies.

According to the FARDC, the suffering of these populations must not be exploited to fuel a disinformation campaign or to set them against their compatriots elsewhere in the country. The army emphasized that it continues its operations precisely to protect these populations, ensure their safety, and preserve the nation’s territorial integrity, in line with its constitutional mandate.

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

It added:

“The FARDC remain fully committed to fulfilling their 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 attempts at manipulation aimed at weakening the national resolve in the face of aggression.”

This new statement from the FARDC comes amid persistent tensions between Kinshasa and the AFC/M23, as well as ongoing 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 dire humanitarian situation in several localities of the South Kivu highlands.

The AFC/M23 coordinator, Corneille Nangaa, specifically blamed the situation on President Félix Tshisekedi’s administration. He alleged that military operations in the region are aimed at exterminating the Banyamulenge community through the use of armed drones, reflecting a desire to challenge their belonging to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.