UN Report: M23 Establishing Independent Governance in Eastern DRCongo
United Nations experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) say the M23 rebel group is in the process of establishing a de facto autonomous administration in the eastern part of the country, even as peace talks continue under the Doha and Washington initiatives.
The warning is contained in a recent report submitted by the UN experts to the UN Security Council. According to the report, the security situation has significantly deteriorated in recent months, with both the Kinshasa government and the M23 exchanging attacks in what the experts describe as violations of previous ceasefire understandings.
The report states that the Alliance Fleuve Congo/M23 (AFC/M23) is seeking to position itself as a parallel authority to the Congolese state by setting up administrative, judicial, taxation and security structures—actions the experts say resemble the creation of state-like institutions.
UN experts also note that AFC/M23 has expanded its military operations across North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. They add that the situation in eastern Congo has continued to worsen at a time when momentum in the Doha peace process appears to be stalling.
Against this backdrop, DR Congo’s Minister of Communication and Government Spokesperson, Patrick Muyaya, has warned that Kinshasa will not continue talks with AFC/M23 in Doha unless the group withdraws to what he described as its “previous positions.”
Speaking to UN-backed Radio Okapi, Muyaya dismissed reports that the Congolese government had withdrawn from the Doha negotiations, calling them “fake news” and “rumors spread by M23 and Rwanda.” He insisted that Kinshasa remains engaged with the mediator, the government of Qatar.
Muyaya said that in recent months the Doha talks had produced progress, including agreements on a ceasefire mechanism and discussions related to detainees. However, he accused Rwanda and M23 of failing to honor those commitments.
“How can you expect us to sit comfortably at the table with people who do not respect what was agreed from the beginning, even after progress was made?” Muyaya asked.
Rwanda continues to deny supporting M23, saying it has only taken defensive measures. M23, for its part, accuses the Congolese government and the national army (FARDC) of violating ceasefire commitments by launching attacks on its positions.
In their latest report, UN experts say both sides have carried out attacks simultaneously, further undermining ceasefire efforts.
Asked whether the Doha talks were effectively suspended, Muyaya replied that, from Kinshasa’s perspective, M23 must first withdraw from Uvira and return to unspecified initial lines. He added that while the Congolese government remains in contact with the Qatari mediator, Rwanda and M23 must pull back to previous positions for the remaining stages of the Doha process to yield results.
