The Congolese AFC/M23 group has warned the Kinshasa regime and its coalition forces of continued attacks on civilian populations, which they said greatly undermines the ongoing ceasefire to which parties committed. In a statement, the group said that government coalition, which also included the genocidal FDLR militia, are deploying attack drones and fighter jets against defenceless civilian communities, citing recent bombings in villages within Minembwe region in South Kivu. In the statement issued by Lawrence Kanyuka, the group’s commination focal person on February 25, they reiterated their commitment to a political resolution of the conflict in the eastern DR Congo. Military build-up The AFC/M23, which has since captured the cities of Goma and Bukavu among other territories in eastern DR Congo, emphasised that it continues to respect the unilateral ceasefire it declared on February 4 and reaffirmed on February 22, to give regional peace initiatives a chance. However, Kanyuka said that the Kinshasa regime and its coalition—including the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), the FDLR, Wazalendo militias, and the Burundian National Defence Force (FNDB)—are actively reorganising for a full-scale war. ALSO READ: DR Congo crisis: Kenyatta, Obasanjo and Desalegn to mediate EAC-SADC process “Evidence of this military build-up, including the deployment of reinforcements, supply of equipment, and unit re-organisation, has been observed in Rusizi Plain, Walikale, Massi, and Lubero. “Despite the ongoing ceasefire, the Kinshasa regime and its coalition persist in targeting civilian populations, deploying attack drones and fighter jets against defenceless communities,” the statement reads. According to AFC/M23, villages in Minembwe, including Irundu and Nyarujoka, were bombed on February 25, causing destruction and fear among innocent civilians. Meanwhile, in Uvira town, the group claims that the persecution of the Banyamulenge community has intensified, with reports of daily arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and other human rights violations. ALSO READ: DR Congo crisis: UN on spot over number of civilian casualties AFC/M23 condemned these acts, calling them grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. The group also criticised what it described as the international community’s selective approach to addressing such crimes. “The silence and inaction of key stakeholders only embolden the perpetrators and further jeopardise civilian lives,” the statement states adding that; “the AFC/M23 warns that the confrontational stance of the Congolese government threatens to escalate the conflict, undermining ongoing peace efforts at the EAC and SADC levels. The responsibility for further deterioration of the situation will rest squarely with the Congolese government and its coalition.” AFC/M23 urged regional leaders working towards a ceasefire to take immediate action and hold the DRC government accountable for reckless and provocative actions.
