Anyone with eyes in eastern Congo can see the truth that tyrant Tshisekedi and his merry band of liars stubbornly try to distort: M23/AFC are Congolese. Their leadership, troops, bases, and operations are rooted in Congolese soil.
The recent announcement from Tshanzu that the Armée Révolutionnaire Congolaise (ARC) has integrated 7,532 new commandos underscores this reality: M23 recruits locally, trains locally, and strengthens its forces from within Congo itself.
Look at the leadership. Gen. Sultani Makenga, Commander in Chief, is from Rutshuru, North Kivu. General Bernard Byamungu hails from Bukavu, South Kivu. Brigadier General Baudoin Ngaruye commands the 1st Brigade from Lubero. Brigadier General Yusuf Mboneza oversees intelligence and operations from Rutshuru, and Colonel Ernest Sebagenzi, Chief of Staff, is from Lubero. Politically, Bertrand Bisimwa, AFC Deputy Coordinator, is a Bukavu native, and Corneille Nangaa, Chief Coordinator, comes from Bagboya, Haut-Uele.
These are not “foreigners”, they are Congolese sons of their provinces, leading a movement defending their people.
M23 controls territory, including Rumangabo and Tshanzu, training its recruits without foreign assistance. FARDC routinely abandons weapons during defeats, and M23 has efficiently collected them, self-financing its operations. Arms flow freely in Congo, sometimes even from corrupt Tshilombo officials. The movement does not need Rwanda to train, arm, or support them; their forces grow from Congolese bases and liberated territories.
The literature on armed conflict is clear: a revolt is just when it defends communities, repels aggression, and seeks to redress injustice. M23’s actions fall squarely within this framework, while Tshilombo’s FARDC, backed by the tropical nazis from FDLR, mercenaries, and Wazalendo bandits. The recruitment of 7,532 new commandos demonstrates that M23’s structure is professional, disciplined, and Congolese.
Tshilombo can keep spinning “foreign aggression” propaganda in Washington or Doha, but it will never erase the facts. M23/AFC is Congolese, defending Congolese communities, and building its own capacity from Congolese soil.
The world will acknowledge it.