Amidst Congolese M23 Rebels’ Gains, Military Court Hands Down Death Sentences

Democratic Republic of Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo is experiencing a surge in militia activity in its eastern region, with clashes between armed groups and government forces frequent. Amidst this backdrop, two men, General Dominique Kamanzi Ndarurutse and Jean-Claude Habyarimana, both leaders of the armed group Wazalendo, shared their perspective in an exclusive interview with Africanews in their area of operation.

Wazalendo, which translates to "patriots" or "defenders of the homeland", is fighting alongside the Congolese Army (FARDC) against M23 rebels in the eastern DRC. In July, the European Union slapped sanctions on the group, accusing it of "serious human rights violations". An accusation it vehemently denied.

"We’re not worried about these sanctions, because they’re fabricated. They know we’re an obstacle to their plans to partition our country," said Kamanzi, of the Coalition of Movements for Change (CMC). "They want to plunder our minerals and wealth, but we won’t give in."

As the M23 rebels continue to gain ground in North Kivu province, the UN Security Council this week authorized its mission, MONUSCO, to provide logistical support to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission in the DRC. Wazalendo has expressed cautious optimism but stressed the importance of SADC backing.

In 2013 and previous years, SADC helped defeat the M23 rebels during the same period. Wazalendo’s Habyarimana expressed disappointment at the lack of progress, stating: "The wish of all Congolese is that, as reliable partners, they activate all possible mechanisms to ensure that their presence on Congolese soil is not in vain, as we saw with the East African Community (EAC) force…"

Residents of Goma, the North Kivu provincial capital, echo concerns about MONUSCO and express doubts over the effectiveness of the 21-nation peace mission. A resident, identified as Christophe Muisa, acknowledged the efforts of the armed groups to drive out M23 rebels while criticizing the military court’s new death sentences.

On the one hand, Muisa urged the armed groups to "sacrifice themselves for the sake of peace." It is evident that the residents believe security will be maintained by the same forces fighting for their freedom.
On the other hand, a regional court in Kinshasa made a significant ruling on Thursday, in which it sentenced 26 of the accused, including an unknown 21, to death without extenuating circumstances for having participated in the M23 armed rebellion and related crimes.

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