The political and military coalition AFC/M23 has announced the capture of an individual it claims was a spy sent by Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye and Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi to assassinate some of its top leaders.
According to information shared by a user on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the individual was caught engaging in activities described as a covert plot to undermine AFC/M23’s leadership.
It is reported that footage of the captured spy has already been recorded and is expected to be made public in the coming days.
Both Presidents are accused of secretly working to dismantle the leadership of AFC/M23, especially after peace talks in Doha have failed to yield positive outcomes for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
President Ndayishimiye is said to have recently traveled to Kinshasa for talks with Tshisekedi, aimed at coordinating further military operations towards the city of Uvira while simultaneously seeking to derail ongoing peace negotiations.
In a statement released on May 25, 2025, AFC/M23 also condemned remarks made by Teohna Williams, the Senior Advisor at MONUSCO responsible for civilian protection, who had claimed that Goma had become increasingly dangerous since being taken by AFC/M23.
The coalition rejected these claims, calling them “deliberate lies” intended to discredit its efforts and disrupt the Doha peace talks.
The statement further alleged that these false narratives were being supported by Tshisekedi allies within MONUSCO, including Teohna Williams, and criticized what it described as a “conspicuous silence” regarding the killings and persecution of civilians prior to AFC/M23’s takeover of Goma.
On April 11 and 12, 2025, heavy fighting was reported in Goma, especially in the neighborhoods of Mugunga, Kyeshero, and Lac Vert, where intense gunfire was heard. Governor Bahati Musanga Erasto confirmed that DRC government forces, along with FDLR and Wazalendo militias, had launched attacks on AFC/M23 positions but were repelled.
AFC/M23 claims that before it captured Goma, the city had become a hub of violence and lawlessness, where civilians were killed in broad daylight, women were raped, children were kidnapped, people were hunted based on ethnicity, and weapons were being distributed among the population.
The coalition asserts that it ended these atrocities, restored order, initiated disarmament processes, and established mechanisms to maintain peace in Goma.
AFC/M23 also rejected accusations made by Zenon Mukongo, the DRC’s representative to the United Nations, who alleged that the group had taken over the areas of Kishishe, Bambo, and Luwhinja in 2025. To counter this claim, the group cited a statement signed by Gen. Sylvain Ekenge, spokesperson of the Congolese Army, which did not list these areas as being under government control.
The coalition emphasized that these territories have been under its authority since November 2022, and therefore Mukongo’s claims are “deliberate misinformation” meant to mislead the international community.
In conclusion, AFC/M23 called on the international community not to fall into the trap of DRC’s propaganda and its allies, but rather to focus on supporting sustainable peace and justice, especially for the suffering population of Kivu.
