Lawrence Kanyuka, spokesperson for the M23 l movement group, made a public visit to Kavumu Airport in South Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, to reassure the local population about security and confirm that the airport is fully under M23 control.
Speaking to journalists during his visit, Kanyuka dismissed recent claims by the Congolese government that the airport is controlled by Mai-Mai militias or so-called “Wazalendo” self-defense groups. He accused President Félix Tshisekedi whom he referred to by his legal surname “Tshilombo” and his administration of spreading misinformation to conceal the government’s weakening grip on the region.
“Kavumu Airport is securely under M23 control. Any claims that it has fallen into the hands of Mai-Mai or Wazalendo fighters are outright lies, a part of Tshilombo’s propaganda campaign,” Kanyuka declared. “This is a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and distract from the reality on the ground.”
Kanyuka described the government narrative as an effort to maintain a false sense of control while the national army continues to lose territory in the east. He criticized the deployment of civilians under the Wazalendo label to front-line combat, calling it a tragic sacrifice of the people of Kivu.
“This is not just negligence it is hatred,” he said. “Sending untrained civilians to fight battle-hardened troops shows the regime’s utter disregard for the lives of eastern Congolese.”
Kanyuka emphasized that the airport and its surroundings are safe, urging civilians to go about their daily lives without fear. He also reaffirmed M23’s commitment to protecting the local population and maintaining order in territories under its control.
M23, a Tutsi-led movement group that first emerged in 2012, claims to fight for the rights of Kinyarwanda-speaking communities in the DRC and to resist abuse and corruption within the national army. While Kinshasa and several international actors label the group as a terrorist organization, M23 positions itself as a liberation movement working to restore justice and security in the eastern provinces.
Kanyuka’s visit and remarks follow a weekend of intense fighting in which numerous pro-government fighters, including many newly recruited Wazalendo volunteers, were reportedly killed. The M23 spokesman referred to them as “sacrificed sons of Kivu,” blaming Kinshasa for using them as cannon fodder in a war that, he argues, lacks legitimacy.
