Not a day passes without reports and images of massacres committed by Congolese ruler Felix Tshisekedi’s military, his allies, and the militias he hired, or by the ADF, a group he promised to dismantle, but declined from doing so. From Ituri to South Kivu, the stories are horrific, and the atrocities repeat, endlessly.
The genocidal intent against Congolese Tutsi communities is evident in daily incidents. Mai Mai militias, rebranded as “Wazalendo”fired on a funeral convoy of a group of Banyamulenge seeking to bury one of their own that had served in the army, sparking outrage. They are denied their rights in their own country, even after one of theirs served in Congo’s army, to give them a proper burial.
In the mountains surrounding Uvira where the persecuted seek safety, the killers follow.
On Monday, a young Munyamulenge, Mutabazi, died after he and his friend Mvuyekure were beaten by Burundian troops, in DR Congo to help Tshisekedi in his anti-Tutsi atrocities. Daily drone and armed attacks led by the Burundian army and the genocidal FDLR are part of a larger attempt at ethnic cleansing.
The AFC/M23 has prevented genocide in North Kivu, but it must now save the Banyamulenge.
In North Kivu and Ituri, CODECO militias and ADF terrorists are on a rampage, killing indiscriminately and committing atrocities: 163 people killed and 181 houses burned in Ituri in just a few days. This is despite Tshisekedi declaring a state of siege there, imposing military rule, and requesting assistance from Uganda. Four years on, the killings have increased rather than decreased.
In short, Tshisekedi requested Burundi’s help, and Burundi joined in massacring Congolese Tutsi communities, joining Kinshasa’s campaign of ethnic-cleansing already underway (under FARDC and FDLR command).
In fact Tshisekedi also asked Uganda for assistance, only for Uganda to discover that the FDRC cooperates with CODECO and ADF, to target Congolese civilians.
Only the AFC/M23 can restore order.
Only it can prevent the total destruction of Congo.