Territories of Karuba, Mushaki, Kilorirwe, Nenero Kibirizi and Mweso were yesterday handed over to EACRF and Burundian troops- BNDF by M23 in compliance with the decision of EAC Heads of States.
Handing over of these territories is another indicator that peace and safety is what M23 has been endeavoring to achieve amidst reckless behaviors of inept President Tshisekedi and his incompetent national forces – FARDC in collaboration with genocidal groups like FDLR, PARECO, APCLS, Mai-Mai and Wagner group.
These commendable progresses on the side of M23, however become meaningless when FARDC and its bloody allies fail to play their part with regard to Luanda, Nairobi and Addis Ababa agreements. As of yesterday Tshisekedi’s coward forces violated the ceasefire agreement for the umpteenth time by using the earlier handed territories as positions to attack M23.
While the regional intervention forces might think they are registering gains in the name of negotiating with M23 to surrender seized territories—the same areas, where some of its soldiers lost their lives fighting for a justified cause— M23 patience might not be tested longer. It is time EAC leaders tell Tshisekedi to comply to all established mechanisms.
Previous remarks of Tshisekedi’s loudmouth mouthpiece Patrick Muyaya whitewashing bloody groups like FDLR and Co as “self-defense groups” and allowing them to operate under such mandate could not be any other sign of retrogress towards peace process. Already when those remarks were made, citizens in Masisi were complaining of a certain Delta, a “general” in FDLR, who have been wrecking terror by looting people’s livestock and killing people while FARDC was watching and doing nothing.
If those groups are not tracked down and disarmed, it will allow continuous proliferations of illegal weapons, the same arms that FARDC trade with them and make them more hostile against Congolese. Such provocative behaviors will not continue to take place in the face of M23. The EACRF should turn on the other side and task Tshisekedi to do his part or else M23 will not withdraw forever.
A reminder that M23 has not been surrendering territories because of lack of power and strategies to fight fully Tshisekedi’s forces, it is to lay ground to negotiations and have their voices heard. Only direct negotiations with M23 movement can guarantee sustainable peace in Eastern DRC.