In a strongly worded press statement released on Sunday, May 25, AFC/M23 accused the Congolese government and its international allies, including MONUSCO's senior civilian protection advisor Teohna Williams, of spreading false information to derail the fragile peace process mediated in Doha.
Williams, in a briefing to the international community on May 22, painted a grim picture of Goma's current state under M23 control, a portrayal the group flatly rejects.
'These falsehoods, coming from a biased actor, cannot deceive informed opinion,' the statement read, defending the group's occupation of the North Kivu capital since January.
'Goma was then living a daily nightmare… We have ended these atrocities, restored order, and allowed Goma to rise again.'
The rebel movement claims that prior to its takeover, the city was overrun by lawlessness, violence, and ethnic killings, carried out by forces loyal to Kinshasa. It also accuses the Congolese army of using civilians as human shields and deploying artillery in displacement camps around the city.
According to the statement, the camps have since been dismantled and displaced persons have returned safely to their homes.
The group's spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, blamed MONUSCO for ignoring what he described as widespread human rights abuses committed under government authority. He cited acts such as public executions, arbitrary detentions based on ethnicity, and even cannibalism, which he maintained have been overlooked by the UN mission.
Asserting control over security in Goma, the M23 says it is now conducting a disarmament operation to recover weapons allegedly distributed by the Congolese government to civilians.
AFC/M23 statement also disputes DRC Ambassador Zenon Mukongo's recent letter to the UN Security Council claiming M23 offensives in several areas, including Kishishe and Bambo. M23 says those locations have been under its control since 2022.
The group pointed to an April 12 press release by the Congolese army (FARDC), which they claim contradicts the ambassador's allegations.
'The accusations by Mr Mukongo, refuted by the FARDC's documents, confirm the regime's duplicity,' the statement said.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
