Corneille Nangaa, the coordinator of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23), said the new sanctions imposed on him by the United Nations Security Council are “political” but will not affect their fight, which he claims is aimed at protecting civilians who have suffered prolonged abuses.
He described the sanctions as “politically motivated,” saying they would not stop AFC/M23’s activities. He compared them to what he called severe sanctions previously imposed by the government in Kinshasa, saying that despite those measures, they would not prevent them from continuing what he described as a “fight for survival.”
Corneille Nangaa said AFC/M23 would continue its military operations, insisting that they have no plans to halt the fighting until, according to him, the people they claim to defend achieve lasting peace and security.
He added that their struggle is aimed at seeking justice for civilians who he says have been oppressed for a long time by the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, arguing that UN sanctions will not stop their operations in North Kivu, South Kivu, or other parts of the DRC.
The new UN sanctions come at a time when security continues to deteriorate in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where fighting is ongoing between the AFC/M23 coalition and government forces (FARDC), alongside their allies, including Burundian troops, Wazalendo armed groups, and the FDLR.
The ongoing fighting continues to cause instability among civilians, with many people being displaced from their homes and humanitarian challenges worsening in the region.
Corneille Nangaa called for political solutions to address the crisis in eastern DRC, but insisted that AFC/M23 will continue what he described as a struggle to protect civilians until a lasting solution is achieved.
