The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Felix Tshisekedi, has called for the «total mobilization» of the country’s population after denouncing the failure of diplomatic channels to resolve the conflict with the rebel group March 23 Movement (M23), now at a peak after the breakthrough made by the armed organization last week in the northeast of the country.
In an address to the nation in which he once again accused the government of neighboring Rwanda of providing financing and logistical support to the rebel group, the Congolese president denounced «a humanitarian tragedy» in the territory of Rutshuru, where according to his estimates more than 200,000 people have had to flee from the M23 advance. The group «controls certain localities», the president admitted in a speech in which he accused the armed movement of committing «unspeakable atrocities».
On the alleged Rwandan interference, Tshisekedi denounced the Kigali government for using the M23 as the spearhead of its «expansionist interests» and its attempts to «illegally exploit the natural resources» of the DRC, particularly in the border areas. The president particularly regretted that Rwanda decided to «reactivate its support to terrorists» despite diplomatic advances such as the signature of a memorandum of understanding on gold trade or the opening of an airline between state companies of the two countries.
«In spite of this, this country has surprised us by reactivating the M23 terrorists», the Congolese president pointed out, before accusing the authorities in Kigali of hiding behind «false accusations» about the alleged support of the DRC Army to the Rwandan rebel group of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). To sum up the failure of the diplomatic track, the President denounced Rwanda for «destabilizing eastern Congo in order to create a zone of anarchy and thus satisfy its needs and criminal appetites».
THE CALL OF THE FATHERLAND Thus, and given that «no progress has been observed in the field of peace», Tshisekedi has declared a state of «total mobilization». «No one but us is coming to save our nation. The war imposed on us by our neighbors demands sacrifices from each one of us and it is time to silence our political differences to defend our homeland together», he proclaimed in his speech, reported in its entirety by the Congolese news portal Actualité.
In particular, and in response to an alleged «strong demand» from young people to join the ranks, the president invited the youth population «to organize themselves into a vigilante group, with a view to supporting, accompanying and supporting the defense and security forces in the performance of their noble mission» and gave the Army Chief of Staff the order to «accelerate the opening of recruitment centers» in the 26 provinces of the country.
The president took the opportunity to threaten «all traitors and bad apples who serve the interests of the enemy», without mentioning names, by warning that «they will be exposed to the rigor of the law, having the just punishment that this type of conduct deserves».
Finally, and in the face of warnings from several local civilian organizations, Tshisekedi has asked the Congolese population in the east of the country to refrain from threatening Rwandan civilians, many of them members of the Kiñaruanda communities, who live in the border territories and regularly cross between DRC and Rwanda. «I call on you not to give in to xenophobic remarks and other hate speech or stigmatization of Rwandan communities. Any act that goes in that direction will be severely punished,» he has warned.
