After months of conflict in eastern DRC, a hopeful breakthrough came when the Tshisekedi regime and the Congolese military-political movement M23/AFC reached a Declaration of Principles under the watchful involvement of Qatar and the United States.
This agreement signals a new phase toward ending fighting and restoring peace in the DRC. Yet, before even serious negotiations could continue, Patrick Muyaya, Tshisekedi’s loyal mouthpiece, rushed to twist the content of this historic document, falsely claiming it includes the “non-negotiable withdrawal of the AFC/M23 from occupied areas.”
This claim is false. Nowhere in the declaration is there a demand or commitment that the AFC/M23 must withdraw their forces. The text explicitly commits “the Parties”, a crucial term that politically acknowledges both sides as legitimate actors, to cooperate for peace and to restore state authority over the entire territory through empowering mechanisms, not by forced retreats. The declaration is about enabling the State to regain control, not about one party surrendering ground unilaterally.
Patrick Muyaya’s distortion is a cynical attempt to manipulate the gullible Udpsiens and Udpsistes who have been conditioned to believe Tshisekedi’s propaganda. Recall that on August 6, 2024, speaking from Belgium, Tshisekedi categorically declared, “Never, ever, as long as I am president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, will I have the M23 or AFC delegation in front of me to negotiate.” He dismissed M23 and AFC as mere “puppets” and “riffraff” from Rwanda. Yet the Doha Declaration reflects a political reality Tshisekedi can no longer ignore, the M23/AFC are now recognized parties.
In fact, the use of the word “the Parties” in the Declaration of Principles is itself a major political concession: it grants M23/AFC legitimacy and signals that they have a role to play in shaping the future of the DRC. This is a foundational step toward peace that Tshisekedi’s propaganda seeks to obscure.
The truth is simple: The AFC/M23 will not retreat a single meter because their demands for justice and political recognition are real. The path forward requires genuine negotiations and empowering all parties to build lasting peace. Manipulative rhetoric by Tshisekedi’s spokesmen only fuels division and risks prolonging the conflict.