Congo Conflict: AFC/M23 Challenges UN Human Rights Report
Geneva , September 2025
The Congo River Alliance (AFC/M23) has strongly rejected the recent report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights concerning the situation in North and South Kivu provinces. The Alliance asserts that the report misrepresents facts and undermines the responsible defense of human rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Jean Paul Shasta, Advisor to the Alliance Fleuve Congo, condemned what he described as persistent propaganda by some international bodies aimed at supporting the “moribund regime” in Kinshasa. “Despite multiple clarifications and denials,” Shasta said, “these organizations continue to target AFC/M23 with unfounded accusations while ignoring the widespread mismanagement and criminality of the current government.”
The AFC/M23 accused these organizations of lacking credible investigations and being absent from the conflict zones, accusing them of “blindly backing a corrupt system led by an impostor.”
The Alliance highlighted a stark contrast between the ongoing chaos under President Félix Tshisekedi’s government and the relative peace and development in territories liberated by AFC/M23. “While we have restored security, fostered coexistence, and initiated development projects, international actors seem more invested in propaganda to keep Tshisekedi in power,” Shasta said.
The situation in Uvira exemplifies this deterioration, where militias loyal to Tshisekedi are reportedly persecuting the Banyamulenge community, denying them access to basic necessities such as clean drinking water.
The AFC/M23 also outlined serious abuses allegedly committed by the Kinshasa regime, including:
• Illegal detention of national deputies,
• Restrictions on the movement of political opponents and Swahili-speaking populations,
• Integration of genocidal FDLR forces within FARDC units,
• Deployment of Burundian troops against civilians on Congolese soil,
• Systematic torture and sexual violence in prisons such as Makala, Ndolo, and Kasapa,
• Organization and financing of violent attacks by CODECO militias in Ituri and the ADF in Ituri and North Kivu targeting Hema and Nande communities.
In conclusion, the AFC/M23 categorically rejects the accusations made by the UN Fact-Finding Mission. The Alliance reserves the right to present a more accurate and comprehensive account of human rights violations committed by the Tshisekedi regime—violations that have long been concealed from the global community.
