Africa-Press – Rwanda. The AFC/M23 rebel movement has vowed to respond to any violations of a ceasefire by the Congolese government, warning that continued hostilities would undermine ongoing peace talks mediated by Qatar.
Speaking at a press conference held in Goma on Thursday, August 7, the AFC/M23 deputy coordinator, Bertrand Bisimwa, said the army and its coalition forces, including the genocidal FDLR militia and Burundian troops had attacked their positions and warned that any more attacks would be met with a response from the rebels who control swathes of territory in eastern DR Congo.
“AFC/M23 warns the Kinshasa regime and informs the mediation as well as all the actors involved in the process that it cannot tolerate these bellicose and provocative acts for long,” Bisimwa said.
“From this day forward, if nothing is done, despite our good faith and our unfailing commitment to the peace process and in particular to the ceasefire, each attack will be followed by an appropriate reaction capable of definitively neutralizing the threat with a view to protecting the civilian population.”
He emphasized that continued violations of the ceasefire would threaten the peace process.
The Congolese government and the AFC/M23 signed the Declaration of Principles for a peace agreement on July 19, after three months of Qatar-mediated negotiations.
Bisimwa said the rebel movement “denounces with the utmost energy these deadly provocations which violate the ceasefire as well as the spirit and letter of the Declaration of Principles signed in Doha on July 19, 2025, and dangerously threaten the entire ongoing peace process.”
Despite initiated peace efforts, the rebel group has continuously accused the Congolese government of further escalations, including the “barbaric” bombing of a humanitarian aid plane, which was destroyed in South Kivu on June 30.
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