Yesterday the Congolese motley group of bandits they call “national army” released a communique accusing the M23 of ‘attacking civilians and burning houses in Walungu territory,near Bukavu.’
Everyone that keenly follows developments in DRC must have looked at it and burst out laughing.
Just days ago, Wazalendo militias, with the full knowledge and backing of Tshisekedi’s government, issued threats against M23 and warned civilians in Bukavu and it’s surrounding to flee. They promised fire and destruction.
In Tshisekedi’s delusion, he thinks M23 doesn’t have the right to retaliate to such provocations fairly and squarely.
We saw this coming. In fact, we said it. Tshisekedi’s script is so old and tired that even a toddler can narrate it at school. “Provoke M23, wait for a response, scream “aggression” and then cry to mediators for sympathy points.
What’s shocking is how consistent the incompetence is.
Like clockwork, you can guess what Tshisekedi will do next and he’ll still go ahead and do it, even if everyone sees through it.
This is not leadership. It is reckless theatre, with civilians as the ones paying the price. Let’s be clear: the Wazalendo militias are not some rogue actors. They are Tshisekedi’s foot soldiers, armed, fed and protected by the same state that claims to be seeking peace. The same Wazalendo who walk hand in hand with FDLR genocidaires. And the same ones who openly break ceasefire agreements while Kinshasa nods in approval.
The truth is simple. Tshisekedi does not want peace. If he did, he wouldn’t be using militias to ignite war while smiling in peace talks. His goal is to drag the mediation process, win international sympathy, and hide his failures behind imaginary enemies.
The United States, Qatar, and other mediators must stop treating Kinshasa like a genuine partner in peace.
How can you mediate with someone who sets fires behind your back?
If Tshisekedi keeps playing these childish games, then he must be treated like a child: with firm correction.