Would M23's end solve the eastern DRC crisis?

For decades, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has faced an insecurity crisis. The ever escalating violence poses a risk to millions of people facing displacement, deprivation and death. However, the Congolese choose to blames only one armed group, M23, which has been active for less than three years.

The M23 has become a nightmare to President Felix Tshisekedi, who is highly criticized by his opponents for failing to restore security in the east of the country. Kinshasa spends billions of dollars paying the forces supporting the Congolese national army to fight M23, but still loses battles. On top of that, the Congolese army with a coalition of the Burundian national army, SADC troops, Eastern European mercenaries, the UN mission in DRC (MONUSCO), Wazalendo militias, and the Rwandan genocidal militia, FDLR, have all failed to defeat the M23 rebel group.

With all these efforts being invested, questions arise, why does the Congolese government focus on only one armed group? Would the defeat of M23 rebels bring lasting peace to DRC?

The east of DRC is home to 262 armed groups. This is a world record, no single country in the world has as many armed groups.

Regional experts contend that Kinshasa disregards all these armed groups, to focus on one, on purpose. These armed groups support the Congolese government, which would rather work with them than disarm them.

One of such groups is the FDLR, a genocidal militia, created by individuals responsible for the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Human Rights Watch (HRW), the UN Group of Experts on DRC, and others, have pinned the Congolese government for arming, supporting militarily and financially, these terrorists, because they help them fight the M23 rebels.

Fighting the M23 rebels has become Kinshasa’s sole objective, and any armed group that is willing to join the fight gets the former’s unconditional support. Armed groups like the Burundian FLN, APCLS, Mai Mai, FDLR-FOCA, and Nyatura, have already found this support because of fighting the M23.

Kinshasa blatantly refused to hold talks with the M23 rebels claiming that they are “terrorists”. But they are not terrorists. They are fighting against injustice, persecution and a genocide ideology targeting their minority community in eastern DRC.

The rebels have a genuine cause for fighting, and are fighting for their lives, which irks Kinshasa, since it shows how the country’s poor leadership has failed the citizens.

Kinshasa should know that solely fighting the M23 rebels will not solve the crisis facing the country. Only if Kinshasa changes the evident lack of political maturity or intellectual foresight can peace prevail in the country.