The political and military coalition AFC/M23, which has been fighting the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), announced that 874 people died during the fighting to take control of Goma at the end of January 2025, contradicting the much higher figures reported by the Congolese government.
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Speaking at a press conference on Friday, May 30, the coalition’s leader, Bertrand Bisimwa, explained that this is the verified figure based on research conducted by their forces and partners, calling it a way to combat the “political lies and propaganda” being spread by the government.
Bisimwa declared: “It is not true that 3,000 people died in Goma. We conducted a thorough investigation and found that the actual death toll is 874. The Kinshasa government is using fabricated numbers to turn the international community against AFC/M23 and to cover up its own negligence.”
He also accused President Félix Tshisekedi’s administration of using child soldiers, claiming that untrained minors were sent to the frontlines.
Bisimwa added: “He sent untrained children from the East, dressed them in leather garments claiming they were bulletproof gear, and deployed them to fight ARC/M23 troops. These are serious war crimes.”
He concluded by emphasizing that if they seize power, President Tshisekedi will be held accountable for all these crimes before international justice.
So far, the Congolese government has not issued any response to AFC/M23’s statements.
