While addressing the 78th UN General Assembly, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi again alleged that the M23 rebel group does not respect any of the commitments concluded by regional Heads of State within the framework of the Luanda and Nairobi processes.

“Not only have they (rebels) not left the positions they conquered, but they continue to massacre civilians and refuse pre-cantonment and cantonment,” Tshisekedi claimed.

What the Congolese president failed to mention is that, since the M23 resurgence in late 2021, the rebels were fighting to protect civilians being persecuted by his government. The Congolese Tutsi are victims of the killings and hate speech orchestrated by Tshisekedi’s regime. They are fighting against an existential threat.

But in his speech, Tshisekedi missed to pinpoint a few of his government’s gaffes.

Tshisekedi was too ashamed to tell the Assembly that he is responsible for the carnage in Goma which claimed the lives of at least 56 civilians, on August 30.

Related: DRC government defends Goma carnage. This speaks to Tshisekedi’s failure

The then Military Governor of North Kivu, Lt Gen Constant Ndima Kongba, ordered the shooting on protesters. Then, the national army indiscriminately opened fire on the protesters.

The DRC government defended the murder of its own civilians by lying about the number of victims, declaring that the government soldiers who shot and killed them acted professionally.

Tshisekedi, through his Ministers of Defence and Interior, justified why he ordered his armed forces to shoot at unarmed civilians.

And then, in New York, the President alleged that it is the M23 that is killing civilians.

Regional leaders have commended the good work by the EAC’s force deployed in eastern DRC for creating buffer zones which will allow disarming and cantonment of M23 rebels.

The regional force now occupies the areas of Sake, Kibumba, Rumangabo, Mushaki, Kilolirwe, Kitchanga, Kiwanja and Bunagana, among many others evacuated by M23, in regards with complying with the Nairobi and Luanda peace processes.

It is now more than six months since the M23 committed to cease fire as a condition for cantonment process.

Congolese government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya claimed that the materials prepared for the pre-cantonment of M23 elements in Rumangabo camp was blocked in Goma, because the M23 does not want to subscribe to what has been commonly agreed.

Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, is under the control of FARDC and European mercenaries hired by Tshisekedi to fight M23.

Areas near Goma are occupied by the EAC regional force since December 2022, after the M23 withdrew from them.

As such, claiming that the M23 blocked materials in Goma is illogical.

By claiming that the M23 does not respect the commitments concluded by the Luanda and Nairobi processes, Tshisekedi lied to the world.

Tshisekedi is responsible for the escalation of insecurity in eastern DRC. Instead of supporting regional efforts to restore law and order in the region, the president created more armed groups including Wazalendo and has heavily armed the Rwandan genocidal militia, FDLR. He hired Western mercenaries, all in attempts to attack M23, while sabotaging regional peace efforts.

The Congolese president would not be capable of revealing his misdeeds to the world. All he does is tarnish the M23’s image as well as blame neighboring Rwanda for his failures.