The leader of the AFC/M23 rebel alliance, Corneille Nangaa, has made it clear that his group has no other goal than to win the war, in a struggle they claim is to “liberate the entire DRC”. The statement comes as the security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to deteriorate, with peace talks seemingly at a stalemate.
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| PHOTO: Reuters |
Speaking at a meeting of AFC/M23 leaders held on Monday in Goma, Nangaa said 2026 would be a year of victory for their movement. The meeting aimed to assess the situation over the past year and plan strategies for the upcoming year.
In a statement from the group, Nangaa said that AFC/M23 aims to strengthen its army and rebuild it so that it becomes “a model for the future army, well-built, disciplined and free from criminal acts”. He added that they see themselves as a “light” that will illuminate the future of Congo, using the image of the rising sun in the East.
The DRC government has continued to claim that the M23 fighters are directly supported by the Rwandan army. The claim was recently repeated by former DRC army spokesman Major General Sylvain Ekenge, although Rwanda has strongly denied the allegations.
For his part, Ekenge agreed with Nangaa’s statement about continuing the fighting, saying: “We must fight… we must fight until we liberate all the territories captured by M23.” These statements indicate that both sides are preparing military rather than political strategies.
This comes as peace talks between the Congolese government and the M23 rebels, currently underway in Doha, have dragged on for more than seven months without producing any tangible results. According to security analysts, the talks now appear to have stalled, with fighting escalating.
Earlier this month, Corneille Nangaa's name was also mentioned in the context of the peace agreement signed in Washington between DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, in the presence of US President Donald Trump. The agreement aimed to end the war and dismantle the FDLR rebel group, which opposes the Rwandan government and operates in eastern Congo.
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