Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi is busy supplying the Rwandan genocidal militia group, FDLR, with heavy weapons so that it wages war against the M23 rebels in a bid to disrupt the rebels’ cantonment process.

 

The FDLR is a terrorist group formed by remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Its sole mission – genocide ideology – is to forcefully return to Rwanda, grab power, and finish its unfinished job; massacring the Tutsi.

 

A source that preferred anonymity, told The Great Lakes Eye that in early August, the Congolese national army, FARDC, supplied FDLR with tons of ammunitions including explosives for heavy and light weapons. In an open letter to President Tshisekedi, on February 28, provincial members of parliament in North Kivu province asked president Tshisekedi to "analyse the root causes of the prolonged presence of the FDLR and ADF [a Ugandan armed group] in order to return them to their countries of origin."

 

Instead of addressing the root causes of the FDLR presence in eastern DRC, the Congolese government continues to incorporate the militia into its national army as well as supply them with arms and others means.

 

Leaders of FDLR have ordered their troops to be on standby. They are waiting for Kinshasa’s greenlight to attack M23 positions in eastern DRC.

 

The consequences, analysts say, will be catastrophic – especially considering the fact that Tshisekedi’s maneuvering only serves to disrupt the underway effort to ensure a return to normalcy in a region that has seen no peace for decades.

 

Related: DRC: Tshisekedi using armed groups to revive M23 war

 

The cantonment of local armed groups operating in eastern DRC is a process set in motion despite the tricky environment.

 

The 21^st extra-ordinary summit of the East African Community heads of state convened in May directed the EAC regional force to safeguard and maintain the areas vacated by the M23 and other armed groups; and to work with regional chiefs of defense forces, the UN mission in DRC, and other stakeholders to visit and verify within three weeks the suitability of Rumangabo camp for pre-cantonment of M23 and other armed groups.

 

The move would then be followed by ensuring that local armed groups do not occupy areas vacated by M23; and foreign armed groups including the FDLR to be disarmed and repatriated.

 

But Tshisekedi is not at ease when every stage is going on well as planned by regional leaders.

 

The success of the cantonment process will ruin his plans of using war as justification to delay the December presidential elections.

 

Knowing he stands no chance at winning the polls, the Congolese President is determined to disrupt the electoral process so that he can get a transitional term which will allow him to best prepare to steal the next polls.

 

Related: DRC crisis: M23-FARDC war a business opportunity for Tshisekedi

 

Presidential candidate Corneille Nangaa has said that the Republican Guard of the DRC has recruited FDLR elements in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi.

 

Politicians closer to Tshisekedi called for Nangaa’s arrest, saying his allegations amounted to very ‘serious’ accusations.

 

Tshisekedi, through government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya, is propagating a lie that the M23 rebels are to blame for delays in the cantonment process, while he continues pretending to be committed to the process. Muyaya claimed that the material prepared for the pre-cantonment of M23 elements in Rumangabo 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.

 

There is no positive sign that Kinshasa will commit to finding a solution to the conflict, diplomatically, since it never ceases to show signs that it is relying on military power to battle the M23.

 

Related: Museveni, again, urges Tshisekedi to hold talks with M23 rebels

 

Observers see the move of freshly arming and collaborating with FDLR as a way to launch a war against neighbouring Rwanda. And it also comes as no surprise since Tshisekedi has repeatedly alleged – without any sound proof – that Kigali supports the rebels.

 

In the meantime, the FDLR, a genocidal militia formed by remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, uses the situation as an opportunity to accumulate more heavy weapons for their plans to destabilize Rwanda.

 

In general, the situation looks gloomy since Tshisekedi is on record promising to support ‘regime change’ in Kigali.