The AFC/M23 rebellion in eastern DR Congo has “categorically reject the unfounded allegations” presented in Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) report, on Wednesday, March 12, claiming that the rebel alliance is harassing and attacking activists, journalists, and peaceful critics in areas under its control. In a rebuttal, rebel spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said the HRW publication is a blatant attempt to spread false information, mislead the public, and serve the interests of the Kinshasa regime. ALSO READ: Former Belgian senator tours Goma, challenges Western version of events In the recent past, claims such as HRW’s have also been debunked by people such as Alain Destexhe, a former Belgian senator, who toured rebel-controlled Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province, and found the city to be peaceful as inhabitants went about their businesses in normalcy. Destexhe said: “The reputation of the M23 forces, seen as incorruptible, marks a clear break with the previous situation.” Teddy Mazina, a Burundian photojournalist, and Rutendo Matinyarare, a renowned Zimbabwean activist and online voice in the Pan-African space, also visited the region and confirmed the reality in rebel-controlled territory. When I said this, they thought I was insane. Maybe if a white man says it, then Africans will believe. https://t.co/ldmP8wANtp — Rutendo Matinyarare (@matinyarare) March 10, 2025 ALSO READ: Journalist's investigation debunks narrative linking Rwanda to coltan from Rubaya Kanyuka posted on X: “Our organisation has never arrested, intimidated, or persecuted any journalist or activist. We challenge HRW to provide concrete evidence supporting its claims. Given its well-documented ties to the Kinshasa regime, HRW’s credibility is highly questionable. ALSO READ: M23 to Kinshasa: ‘The sooner we talk, the sooner peace becomes a reality’ “We strongly condemn this misuse of influence to tarnish our organisation’s image. We call on the public and international partners to dismiss this biased report and, instead, scrutinise HRW’s relationship with the Kinshasa regime, which has compromised the integrity of its publications.” Rebuttal to Human Rights Watch’s Baseless Allegations Against AFC/M23 https://t.co/xMipnchCQu —————————————————- We categorically reject the unfounded allegations presented in Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) dated March 12,th, 2025. This publication is a blatant attempt to spread... pic.twitter.com/xRgODadlNI — Lawrence KANYUKA (@LawrenceKanyuka) March 12, 2025 Kanyuka reiterated that AFC/M23 has always upheld press freedom and remains open to both national and international journalists. He said media professionals are free to operate “within liberated areas without restrictions,” censorship, or imposed narratives. ALSO READ: Genocide ignored, minerals adored: The west’s role in DR Congo’s unending tragedy “We strongly believe in transparency and the fundamental right of journalists to report independently.” Furthermore, he noted, it is important to clarify that on February 13, “we publicly addressed, through a tweet, the circumstances surrounding the death of musician Indego. At the time, he stated that the musician’s killing resulted from internal conflicts among different factions of the Wazalendo militia and the Congolese army (FARDC), “a fact that some media outlets have deliberately ignored in favour of misleading narratives.” ‘Horrific human rights violations against Banyamulenge ignored’ Adele Kibasumba, a Congolese activist, told The New Times that she was appalled to see that HRW ignored the Congolese government’s endless targeting and killing of unarmed Banyamulenge civilians in Minembwe, Uvira, and surrounding areas in South Kivu Province, as well as the daily killings of the Hema people in Ituri Province. She said: “It is appalling that Human Rights Watch has chosen to ignore the horrific human rights violations against the Banyamulenge, who continue to endure relentless Sukhoi [fighter jet] bombings in Minembwe. Children have been forced to abandon their education as villages are indiscriminately bombed. Meanwhile, in Ituri, the Hema people are being slaughtered daily, yet HRW remains silent. “Their selective reporting of human rights abuses raises serious concerns. It is as if they have taken it upon themselves to decide whose suffering is worthy of recognition and whose lives can be overlooked.” ALSO READ: M23 says will ‘not passively watch’ as DR Congo bombs, massacres Banyamulenge Persistent governance failures, corruption, and empty promises have destabilized eastern DR Congo for decades and the government in Kinshasa has not only failed to dismantle the “more than 200 armed groups ravaging our land” but, in many cases, has actively enabled their existence for political and economic gain, according to Bertrand Bisimwa, the AFC/M23 rebellion’s deputy coordinator. ALSO READ: Rwanda will not bear burden of DR Congo's failures – Nduhungirehe to EU top diplomat In a post on X, Bisimwa said: “We, the AFC-M23, did not take up arms out of greed or a thirst for power, as Western narratives often claim. We did not start this war; this war was forced upon us. Eastern Congo has never truly known peace, and we refuse to accept this as a permanent fate. We fight for peace, stability, and governance that serves the people, not just a small circle of elites, namely [Felix] Tshisekedi’s family and friends.” Ongoing fighting between a vast Congolese army coalition that includes FDLR, an eastern DR Congo-based terrorist militia founded by remnants of the masterminds of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and M23 rebels started in 2021. The Congolese army coalition also comprises over 10,000 Burundian troops, 1,600 European mercenaries, South Africa-led SADC forces, as well as UN peacekeepers. The M23 rebels are now part of a larger rebel coalition, Alliance fleuve Congo (AFC) – created in December 2023 – that is led by Corneille Nangaa, the former president of the Congolese national electoral commission (CENI). President #Kagame on how the international community uses misleading humanitarian agencies to obscure real issues instead of providing real solutions in eastern DR #Congo. : @MarioNawfal pic.twitter.com/ajn0ICywwr — The New Times (Rwanda) (@NewTimesRwanda) March 12, 2025 Despite what appears to be an international smear campaign that spreads a false narrative against the rebel movement, the latter is fighting for governance that supports basic human rights, secures all Congolese citizens, and addresses the root causes of conflict. The rebels have vowed to uproot tribalism, nepotism, corruption, and genocide ideology, among other vices, widespread in DR Congo.
