DR Congo's government spokesperson says the conflict in the east began years before the current debate over constitutional reform, accusing Rwanda of pursuing Congolese mineral wealth and warning that national sovereignty is at stake.
LONDON / KINSHASA — November 5, 2026 — Democratic Republic of the Congo government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya has rejected attempts to connect the war in eastern Congo to the debate over changes to the country's Constitution, arguing that the conflict is instead rooted in a decades-long struggle over territory, natural resources and national sovereignty.
Addressing Congolese nationals during a visit to London, Muyaya noted that the renewed M23 rebellion emerged in 2021, before the current controversy surrounding constitutional revision. In remarks also shared through his X account, he described the fighting as an economic war intended to perpetuate the plundering of the DRC's wealth.
"When this war began in 2021, there was no debate about the Constitution," Muyaya said in the speech. He argued that claims linking the current conflict to constitutional politics obscure what he sees as the underlying economic interests driving the violence.
The remarks followed Muyaya's participation in the UK–DRC Economic Forum held in London from November 2 to 4, where Congolese ministers promoted new investment partnerships and local value addition in mining and industry.
"The Stakes Are the Survival of Our Country"
Muyaya argued that the armed conflict cannot be reduced to disputes between politicians in Kinshasa. He said its consequences reach far beyond any possible constitutional amendment, placing Congo's territorial integrity and the safety of its population in jeopardy.
"The stakes are the survival of our country," he said, according to the supplied recording of his address.
The government spokesperson accused some Congolese political figures of helping external forces advance their objectives. He used particularly sharp language about an unnamed former president, describing internal collaboration as a major advantage for Congo's adversaries. Those accusations reflect Muyaya's political assessment; the speech itself does not establish each individual's involvement.
Muyaya insisted that debating the Constitution and confronting the armed rebellion are separate issues. He argued that proposals for institutional reform should be judged on whether they make the state more effective, while the armed conflict must be addressed as a question of national security and sovereignty.
WAR IN EASTERN DRC
Muyaya: Congo's War Has Nothing to Do With the Constitution
Nov 5, 2026
Nov 5, 2026
7 min read
Published
Updated:
DR Congo's government spokesperson says the conflict in the east began years before the current debate over constitutional reform, accusing Rwanda of pursuing Congolese mineral wealth and warning that national sovereignty is at stake.
LONDON / KINSHASA — November 5, 2026 — Democratic Republic of the Congo government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya has rejected attempts to connect the war in eastern Congo to the debate over changes to the country's Constitution, arguing that the conflict is instead rooted in a decades-long struggle over territory, natural resources and national sovereignty.
Addressing Congolese nationals during a visit to London, Muyaya noted that the renewed M23 rebellion emerged in 2021, before the current controversy surrounding constitutional revision. In remarks also shared through his X account, he described the fighting as an economic war intended to perpetuate the plundering of the DRC's wealth.
"When this war began in 2021, there was no debate about the Constitution," Muyaya said in the speech. He argued that claims linking the current conflict to constitutional politics obscure what he sees as the underlying economic interests driving the violence.
The remarks followed Muyaya's participation in the UK–DRC Economic Forum held in London from November 2 to 4, where Congolese ministers promoted new investment partnerships and local value addition in mining and industry.
"The Stakes Are the Survival of Our Country"
Muyaya argued that the armed conflict cannot be reduced to disputes between politicians in Kinshasa. He said its consequences reach far beyond any possible constitutional amendment, placing Congo's territorial integrity and the safety of its population in jeopardy.
"The stakes are the survival of our country," he said, according to the supplied recording of his address.
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The government spokesperson accused some Congolese political figures of helping external forces advance their objectives. He used particularly sharp language about an unnamed former president, describing internal collaboration as a major advantage for Congo's adversaries. Those accusations reflect Muyaya's political assessment; the speech itself does not establish each individual's involvement.
Muyaya insisted that debating the Constitution and confronting the armed rebellion are separate issues. He argued that proposals for institutional reform should be judged on whether they make the state more effective, while the armed conflict must be addressed as a question of national security and sovereignty.
Muyaya Accuses Rwanda of Pursuing Congo's Minerals
One of the speech's central allegations concerned the extraction and movement of minerals from eastern Congo.
Muyaya named coltan and cassiterite, pointing to Rubaya in North Kivu's Masisi territory and Kalehe in South Kivu as examples of mineral-rich areas at the center of the regional conflict. He argued that Rwanda's stated security concerns about the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) conceal an economic interest in Congolese resources.
The underlying concern about illicit mineral flows is supported by independent investigations. The United Nations Group of Experts' 2025 report documented coltan from M23-controlled Rubaya being smuggled into Rwanda and mixed with minerals of Rwandan origin before export. A 2026 Global Witness investigation similarly examined supply chains carrying conflict-linked coltan out of eastern Congo.
Muyaya cited a dramatic increase in Rwanda's coltan output, describing a rise from 40 tonnes in 1994 to nearly two million tonnes today. That figure should not be treated as a verified production statistic. For comparison, mineral-traceability organization ITSCI reported 2,038 tonnes of tracked Rwandan coltan exports in 2025, while also noting that its system does not cover all exports. Export volumes and mine production are different measures, and the available statistics do not support the two-million-tonne figure as stated.
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Muyaya also estimated annual revenue from what he described as predatory mineral exploitation at approximately $1.7 billion. The supplied remarks do not explain the calculation, and that amount could not be independently substantiated from the sources reviewed for this article.
A Dispute Over Rwanda's Security Justification
Turning to the FDLR, Muyaya questioned Rwanda's longstanding justification for maintaining a military presence or supporting security operations in eastern Congo. He suggested that minerals, rather than the armed group, were the real focus of Kigali's actions.
His argument was deliberately confrontational, but the FDLR itself is not imaginary or merely a metaphor. The group remains an armed actor with a documented history of abuses. In June 2026, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned an FDLR commander and an M23 commander, describing both organizations as armed groups involved in violence and destabilization.
The wider international position also addresses responsibilities on both sides. UN Security Council Resolution 2773 demands that M23 cease hostilities and withdraw from occupied areas, calls for Rwanda to end support for M23 and withdraw its troops from the DRC, and supports commitments to neutralize the FDLR.
The African Union and UN Security Council reiterated these obligations in November 2026, calling for an end to foreign military support for armed groups and the implementation of existing peace commitments.
A Five-Front Strategy Against the Conflict
Muyaya said the Congolese government was pursuing a strategy based on five fronts: military, diplomatic, economic, judicial and media.
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He argued that progress had been made in each area, even as parts of eastern Congo remained outside the government's control. He praised the sacrifices of the Congolese armed forces and urged citizens to resist narratives that, in his view, minimize the consequences of the armed conflict.
The diplomatic and judicial dimensions of the government's response have been accompanied by international pressure. On March 2, 2026, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned the Rwanda Defence Force and four senior officers, stating that Rwandan forces had actively supported and fought alongside M23. Washington subsequently sanctioned Rwanda's Ministry of Defence and Zigama Credit and Savings Society on October 28 over support for the armed movement.
Those actions document Washington's position on Rwanda's role in the conflict; they do not by themselves establish that access to minerals is the sole motivation for the war.
Debate Over the Constitution Versus the Right to Vote
Muyaya challenged political actors who, he said, claim to defend the Constitution while supporting or tolerating an armed movement. He argued that the use of force to seize political authority would deny Congolese citizens the right to select their leaders peacefully.
At the same time, he presented constitutional reform as a separate debate over state effectiveness and the ability of public institutions to solve citizens' problems. His speech did not provide a detailed amendment proposal or outline a timetable for constitutional changes.
The government spokesperson closed with a warning about the human cost of another prolonged cycle of conflict, insisting that after decades of suffering, Congolese communities deserve security and peace.
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