Since last Sunday, Wazalendo militias aligned with Tshisekedi’s coalition, have been launching attacks on Goma, from the direction of Virunga National Park.
The offensive has already dealt them a significant setback. M23 forces managed to repel the assault, leaving at least 13 Wazalendo fighters dead as they attempted to loot civilian property.
This development does not come as a surprise. Not long ago, Wazalendo leader Willy Mishiki stated in an interview with TV5 Monde that the Tshisekedi coalition which Wazalendo is part of, was responsible for the drone attacks in Goma that killed a humanitarian worker, Karine Buisset.
In that same interview, Mishiki revealed that Wazalendo had plans to infiltrate Goma through Virunga Park.
What has been unfolding since Sunday now appears to confirm that statement. It suggests that Tshisekedi’s coalition has turned to Wazalendo as a tool to destabilize the city after facing mounting pressure.
This pattern is familiar. Whenever calls for a ceasefire intensify, Tshisekedi distances himself by portraying Wazalendo as uncontrollable militias, incapable of respecting any truce. Yet on the ground, their actions often align with the broader objectives of his coalition.
The drone attack in Goma marked a diplomatic setback for Kinshasa. But rather than recalibrate, the response has been to escalate. The resort to militia infiltration reflects a determination to continue the conflict at all costs.
In plain sight, and with what appears to be the confidence of continued Western backing, the Tshisekedi regime persists in violating the ceasefire and fueling further instability in eastern DRC.
But he is only playing with fire.