Kinshasa strengthens its case against kigali and m23 over eastern drc reports

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is determined to escalate its legal and economic countermeasures following recent reports from Human Rights Watch and Global Witness. These publications shed light on the security and humanitarian crisis, alongside the exploitation of natural resources in areas of eastern DRC controlled by the AFC/M23 rebellion.

During a press briefing, government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya, joined by Public Health, Hygiene, and Social Welfare Minister Samuel Roger Kamba, indicated that these reports did not come as a surprise to Congolese authorities. Muyaya highlighted Kinshasa’s multi-pronged strategy, focusing on both judicial and economic fronts. He announced that the Ministry of Justice would soon initiate new legal proceedings.

“Regarding the recent reports from Human Rights Watch and Global Witness, these are not findings that catch us off guard. We have our own intelligence services, and our strategy to counter this aggression operates on several fronts, including judicial and economic measures. In fact, the Ministry of Justice will launch new legal actions in the coming days. For us, especially concerning minerals, it is insufficient to merely point fingers at those exploiting resources at the source; the entire supply chain must be scrutinized,” Patrick Muyaya stated to the press.

Addressing the illicit exploitation and trade of minerals in eastern DRC, Muyaya emphasized the necessity of examining the entire commercial network rather than solely attributing responsibility to local actors. He recalled a significant meeting held in Geneva months prior, involving the Prime Minister and various traders implicated in these supply chains.

“On this matter, we convened a crucial meeting in Geneva a few months ago with the Prime Minister and numerous traders involved in the relevant commercial circuits. These reports corroborate information we already possessed and provide additional details that will strengthen our existing cases, both judicially and economically. Our target is the war economy sustained by Rwanda, which profits from the instability in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo,” the government spokesperson affirmed.

Another critical issue raised by Muyaya concerned allegations of forced child recruitment, particularly documented by Human Rights Watch. He revealed that Congolese authorities have been receiving alerts on this matter for several months. According to Muyaya, these coercive tactics stem from the AFC/M23 rebellion’s unpopularity in occupied territories, where they resort to fear and violence to maintain control.

“The reports also address the forced recruitment of children, as highlighted by Human Rights Watch. We are aware that the ‘father’ (Rwanda) and ‘son’ (AFC/M23) are unpopular in the areas they occupy. Since they govern through crimes, fear, and violence, they employ coercive methods, particularly against children, much like in Rwanda. Parents have repeatedly alerted us. At one point, some even hesitated to send their children to school due to fears of forced recruitment, and staged events are sometimes organized to present supposed volunteers recruited from certain camps,” he elaborated.

He further added: “The conclusions of Human Rights Watch confirm what we have long denounced. They will also reinforce ongoing legal procedures. The documented facts constitute serious crimes, including war crimes, for which national and international justice mechanisms are already seized or will be in the near future.”

Muyaya reiterated the government’s unwavering resolve to pursue actions against Kigali and the AFC/M23 on multiple fronts to restore the Democratic Republic of Congo’s sovereignty and rights.

“We understand the nature and methods of the aggressor, and we will pursue them relentlessly. The Human Rights Watch and Global Witness reports do not necessarily encompass the full scope of events on the ground, which is why we continue to rely on the work of our services. When such reports are published, they complement our ongoing investigations and further strengthen our response,” Patrick Muyaya asserted.

Muyaya stressed that the government’s response extends beyond public statements, emphasizing concrete actions. He pointed to recent American sanctions against certain Rwandan army officials, viewing them as part of the broader effort to combat illicit circuits linked to mineral exploitation.

“The government’s reaction is not limited to declarations or communiqués. It primarily translates into concrete actions. If American authorities recently imposed sanctions on certain Rwandan army officials, it is partly because this army is deemed involved, complicit, or responsible for illicit circuits connected to mineral exploitation and trade. All these issues are already subject to judicial proceedings and actions that will continue in the coming weeks,” Patrick Muyaya affirmed.

These report findings bolster previous investigations into human rights violations and the plundering of natural resources in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. They emerge amidst the AFC/M23 offensive, a movement that, according to Congolese authorities and several international reports, is supported by Rwanda and controls vast territories in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. Global Witness’s revelations once again raise questions about the effectiveness of international mechanisms designed to prevent strategic minerals extracted from conflict zones from entering global supply chains.

For several years, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has maintained that the persistent instability in the country’s east is driven by economic interests tied to illegal mining. Kinshasa frequently characterizes this conflict as an “economic war” aimed at plundering Congolese minerals. Kigali systematically rejects these accusations, denying any involvement in the illegal exploitation of DRC’s natural resources or the destabilization of its eastern region.