The M23 movement group leader, Bertrand Bisimwa, stated that the members of the group he leads are not Rwandans pretending to be Congolese. He emphasized that among their members, there are former high-ranking officers of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), including individuals who do not speak Kinyarwanda at all.
Bisimwa made these remarks during an interview with Zimbabwean journalist Rutendo Matinyarare.
During the interview, Bisimwa explained that the resumption of fighting was due to the failure of peace talks, which he blamed on the government in Kinshasa.
He also stated that M23 is not seeking to divide the DRC, as they have no interest in doing so.
He said: “We are fighting to defend ourselves against injustice and the expulsion from our ancestral land, which has left our families living in refugee camps for many years.”
“When the government in Kinshasa fails to deliver services to its citizens, it resorts to discrimination and blames the country’s problems on Kinyarwanda speakers. They call us foreigners, yet we are Congolese.”
Bisimwa, who leads M23 on the political front, rejected claims that M23 is a terrorist organization, arguing that they are simply fighting for their rights.
He said: “No, we are not terrorists; we are people fighting for our rights. We are surprised that we are labeled as terrorists, while we are merely defending ourselves against groups like the FDLR, Wazalendo, and Mai-Mai, who constantly kill and displace our people women and children just because they resemble Tutsis from Rwanda.”
He also dismissed accusations that M23 movement are Rwandans disguised as Congolese, a claim frequently made by officials of the Kinshasa government.
He stated: “Many of us are former senior officers in the DRC army. Some of us do not even speak Kinyarwanda. We are Congolese fighting for our political, economic, and social rights in our own country.”
Since M23 resumed fighting in Bunagana, North Kivu, the government in Kinshasa has repeatedly accused Rwanda of backing the rebel group an allegation that Rwanda has consistently denied, asserting that it has no involvement.
This is why the international community has urged the DRC government to engage in dialogue with the group, but Kinshasa has refused to do so.
Despite the government’s refusal to negotiate, M23 has continued to capture more territory and has recently established an administration in both North and South Kivu provinces.
