Regional
For how long will the international community listen to Tshisekedi’s lies?
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.