The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has firmly rejected attempts to equate the armed rebel group M23 with the Banyamulenge community, denouncing it as a dangerous and false narrative being pushed by Rwanda in its continued destabilization campaign.
Speaking in an interview with Bana Mboka Congo in Kinshasa, Minister of Communication and Government Spokesperson Patrick Muyaya drew a clear line between Congolese civilians and the armed militia operating under foreign influence.
The M23 is an armed group and must never be confused with the Banyamulenge community,” Muyaya declared. “The Banyamulenge have never mandated the M23 or Rwanda to wage war on their behalf. They are not M23, and they are not complicit in the crimes of the son of Rwanda.
This message comes in the wake of M23's forced retreat from the city of Uvira in South Kivu, a strategic defeat that exposed the crumbling illusion of a foreign-engineered “Kivu Republic.” But alongside their withdrawal, M23 left behind a trail of looting, forced displacements, and planted narratives aimed at dividing Congolese communities, particularly by instrumentalizing the Banyamulenge ethnic group.
According to Minister Muyaya, just hours before their departure, M23 fighters attempted to coerce members of the Banyamulenge community to flee with them, a tactic designed to create the illusion of communal alignment with the militia’s agenda.
Some of our Banyamulenge compatriots were forced to abandon their homes and businesses to follow a retreating armed group,” Muyaya said. “This is not protection, it is manipulation. It is displacement used as a cynical political tool.”
The Congolese government now fears that M23 fighters, many of whom are believed to be directly supported by the Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF), have embedded plainclothes agents in Uvira to orchestrate ethnic violence, violence that can then be falsely blamed on national forces such as FARDC, Wazalendo, or even FDLR.
Muyaya was scathing in his condemnation of Rwanda’s strategy of ethnic weaponization.
The Rwandan ambassador stood before the UN Security Council and cited the word ‘Banyamulenge’ nine times, arrogating to himself the right to speak for Congolese citizens. Rwanda’s strategy is clear: to claim the role of protector of a community while simultaneously using that claim to justify slaughter and invasion.”
The government’s response has been swift. Twenty looters, allegedly linked to M23's orchestrated thefts, have already been arrested and will be tried publicly. However, more broadly, the DRC is now working to restore state authority in liberated areas and ensure security for all communities, particularly those most vulnerable to this kind of exploitation.
WAR IN EASTERN DRC
DRC Says M23 Rebel Group Must Not Be Confused with Banyamulenge
Jan 22, 2026
May 15, 2026
4 min read
Published
Updated:
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has firmly rejected attempts to equate the armed rebel group M23 with the Banyamulenge community, denouncing it as a dangerous and false narrative being pushed by Rwanda in its continued destabilization campaign.
Speaking in an interview with Bana Mboka Congo in Kinshasa, Minister of Communication and Government Spokesperson Patrick Muyaya drew a clear line between Congolese civilians and the armed militia operating under foreign influence.
The M23 is an armed group and must never be confused with the Banyamulenge community,” Muyaya declared. “The Banyamulenge have never mandated the M23 or Rwanda to wage war on their behalf. They are not M23, and they are not complicit in the crimes of the son of Rwanda.
This message comes in the wake of M23's forced retreat from the city of Uvira in South Kivu, a strategic defeat that exposed the crumbling illusion of a foreign-engineered “Kivu Republic.” But alongside their withdrawal, M23 left behind a trail of looting, forced displacements, and planted narratives aimed at dividing Congolese communities, particularly by instrumentalizing the Banyamulenge ethnic group.
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According to Minister Muyaya, just hours before their departure, M23 fighters attempted to coerce members of the Banyamulenge community to flee with them, a tactic designed to create the illusion of communal alignment with the militia’s agenda.
Some of our Banyamulenge compatriots were forced to abandon their homes and businesses to follow a retreating armed group,” Muyaya said. “This is not protection, it is manipulation. It is displacement used as a cynical political tool.”
The Congolese government now fears that M23 fighters, many of whom are believed to be directly supported by the Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF), have embedded plainclothes agents in Uvira to orchestrate ethnic violence, violence that can then be falsely blamed on national forces such as FARDC, Wazalendo, or even FDLR.
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Muyaya was scathing in his condemnation of Rwanda’s strategy of ethnic weaponization.
The Rwandan ambassador stood before the UN Security Council and cited the word ‘Banyamulenge’ nine times, arrogating to himself the right to speak for Congolese citizens. Rwanda’s strategy is clear: to claim the role of protector of a community while simultaneously using that claim to justify slaughter and invasion.”
The government’s response has been swift. Twenty looters, allegedly linked to M23's orchestrated thefts, have already been arrested and will be tried publicly. However, more broadly, the DRC is now working to restore state authority in liberated areas and ensure security for all communities, particularly those most vulnerable to this kind of exploitation.
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We will not allow imported hatred to divide us,” Muyaya emphasized. “Our Banyamulenge compatriots are innocent Congolese who have the right to live peacefully in the land they’ve always known. We will not let foreign actors make them refugees in their own country.”
The Congolese state has committed to continuing its mission of protecting all communities, resisting both internal threats and external aggression. As the government pushes forward with trials, restoration efforts, and the gradual return of displaced populations, one thing is clear: the DRC is reclaiming the narrative and rejecting the dangerous conflation of armed rebels with peaceful citizens.
Conclusion
As Congo navigates the fragile post-M23 moment in Uvira, the message is crystal clear: disinformation, division, and ethnic manipulation will not derail the Congolese pursuit of peace and sovereignty. The Banyamulenge are not M23. And the DRC government is standing firm in that truth.
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