The withdrawal of AFC/M23 from Uvira was a good gesture – to give peace a chance and satisfy international mediators, notably Qatar and Washington DC.
This act of good faith should have been met with reciprocal responsibility, yet it only led to one inevitability: the Congo is a regime of intractable thugs that honor nothing. The moment M23/AFC withdrew, the regime immediately unleashed chaos.
Wazalendo militias – criminals, bandits – returned to Uvira, joined by the tropical Nazis of the FDLR. They immediately started widespread killings, looting, and destruction.
The human toll was devastating.
Banyamulenge communities were specifically targeted: Pastor Buhungu’s house, the 37th Gift Church, the Methodist Church, and the Calgary Church, all areas belonging to the Congolese population, were destroyed. Tshisekedi’s deliberate orchestration of violence demonstrates that his regime cannot protect Congolese citizens and repeatedly fails to honor any agreements, reinforcing why accountability is non-negotiable.
Corneille Nangaa, political coordinator of M23/AFC, warned: “The chaos was predictable, and everyone was warned. We even proposed support measures, but we were ignored. Who will bear the responsibility before history? With our destiny at stake, inaction is unacceptable.”
Nangaa’s statement underscores the harsh truth: Tshisekedi must not be allowed to act without consequence, and mediators who demand concessions from M23/AFC while ignoring his crimes are complicit in further atrocities.
History itself provides a warning. In 1963, the DRC endured three years of anarchy while citizens were betrayed by political hacks, petty politicians, and Mabumucrates in Léopoldville. Today, Tshisekedi’s regime mirrors that failure, using Wazalendo militias and the genocidal forces of the FDLR to enforce chaos.
For international mediators, the tragedy of Uvira demands accountability. By insisting on M23/AFC’s withdrawal without credible security guarantees, Qatar and the Trump administration enabled violence they should have foreseen.
The undeniable fact is that Tshisekedi must answer for unleashing forces that commit atrocities on behalf of his regime. Anything less signals to victims and the Congolese politico-military movement M23/AFC that the only language his regime understands is force, and that the world is willing to turn a blind eye.
Uvira’s tragedy is a test; one that the mediators must pass by imposing accountability on Tshisekedi.