The Congolese government continues its military offensives despite ongoing peace efforts in Doha, Qatar, the AFC/M23 rebellion informed the national and international community, on July 17, reiterating its "determination to protect civilian populations and eliminate any threat at its source.”
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Two days earlier, the rebel movement had accused Congolese government forces of killing four of its compatriots in what it described as a demonstration of "warlike intentions,” despite ongoing peace efforts.
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On July 17, rebel spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka posted a video on X, saying: "In the face of these attacks, our organization reaffirms its determination to protect civilian populations and eliminate any threat at its source.
"We will not yield to intimidation or the manoeuvres of an illegitimate and bloodthirsty regime, which sacrifices peace for the sake of its selfish interests.”
The Doha talks are supposed to complement a June 17 peace agreement signed between the governments of Rwanda and DR Congo in Washington.
Despite the international and regional efforts, AFC/M23 claims that the actions by the Congolese government show no commitment to peace. The rebel group earlier cited several violations, including the bombing of a humanitarian aid plane in South Kivu, which was delivering food and medical supplies to civilians shortly after the signing of the Washington peace deal. The rebels blamed the "barbaric” attack on a coalition of Congolese government forces and allied militias, including the Burundian army (FNDB), the Rwandan genocidal militia, FDLR, and the Congolese Wazalendo militia.
While reaffirming its commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in eastern DR Congo, AFC/M23 accused the Congolese government of obstructing the Doha talks by failing to implement confidence-building measures. The rebels have been waiting for Kinshasa to fulfill trust-building measures, which are essential to facilitate meaningful dialogue.