Dramatic Situation in Butembo
The Congolese army is exhausted, without ammunition or food, while the M23 threatens to approach within a few days to Butembo, the second most populous city in North Kivu and the main commercial hub of the province. A source on the ground reported the critical situation, preferring to remain anonymous for security reasons.
The testimony from Butembo comes a few days after M23 militiamen entered the city of Kanyabayonga, a town of 60,000 inhabitants located in the territory of Lubero and halfway between Butembo and Goma, the capital of North Kivu. Kanyabayonga is also considered a key passage point for accessing the northern part of the province.
In the video (The rebels, after taking the rural town of KANYABAYONGA and some villages in the territory of Lubero, are now heading to Butembo to fight) July 1, 2024
Advance of M23
The capture of the town was announced by the M23 themselves and confirmed anonymously to the international press by some members of the local administration. Barely had they taken possession of this new outpost when the militiamen reportedly advanced towards Kayna, about ten kilometers further north. Further testimonies indicate even greater advancement. "After Kayna, it was the turn of Luofu and Kirumba, while today, the guerrillas have reached Kaseghe," another 25 kilometers north towards Butembo, which at this point is less than 70 kilometers away.
The Army in Trouble
The soldiers of the regular army are proving completely incapable of reacting. "Our military," the witness reported, "are no longer in a position to resist, lacking any form of support as well as ammunition and food. The M23 is practically facing no opposition. If nothing happens," concluded the anonymous source, "they will be here in Butembo in two or three days. It is time to pray; the situation is critical."
The dramatic nature of this account is consistent with other testimonies gathered by the local press. The director of a school in Kayna reported the flight of farmers from all the localities affected by the offensive and the consequent lack of food. This food is needed by the hundreds of displaced people who were already in these areas of the Lubero territory, the teacher pointed out, and who now have to flee from new attacks. The eastern part of the North Kivu province has indeed been the epicenter of hostilities between the army and M23 for over two years, ever since the militia, which had managed to occupy Goma for a few months in 2012, launched a new offensive against Kinshasa.
The Accusations Against Kigali
The activities of the M23 are at the center of the growing tensions between the DR Congo and Rwanda. The former accuses the latter of militarily and financially supporting the armed group, which is mostly composed of people from the Tutsi community of Rwandan origin, and of being directly present in the field with hundreds of its soldiers. This thesis is also supported by independent United Nations reports and various members of the international community.
The rebels are allegedly used by Kigali to destabilize the neighboring country but mainly to smuggle the numerous and valuable natural resources found in eastern DR Congo. These include coltan and the so-called 3Ts (tantalum, tungsten, and tin), essential elements for manufacturing the latest generation of electronic devices necessary for the energy transition and thus highly demanded.
The Rwandan government of President Paul Kagame has always rejected these accusations. After months of escalation, however, the head of state, who is set to be reconfirmed with overwhelming support in this month's elections, given the exclusion of any minimally credible opposition voices from the vote, has also stated that he is ready to "fight" should tensions with the neighboring country escalate.
The Human Drama and Kinshasa's Response
The drama in the northeast of the country is strongly felt, even in Kinshasa, more than 1,500 kilometers to the west. This was evident during President Felix Tshisekedi's speech on the 64th anniversary of the country's independence, achieved from Belgium on June 30, 1960. The issue of security in the eastern provinces was at the center of the president's remarks and was also one of the key points of criticism from the opposition and civil society.
"What is happening in Kanyabayonga, Kayini, the villages in southern Lubero, as well as in the territories of Rutshuru, Nyiragongo, and Masisi, constitutes a blatant aggression against our national sovereignty and the peace of our people," said Tshisekedi, referring to various areas of North Kivu. The president then announced, "I have instructed the government to prioritize investment in strengthening the state's capacity to secure the territory and the population with a cumulative budget over five years, equivalent to 20% of the annual budget." The cited amount would be double the percentage allocated to defense in 2023, which was 10%. Kinshasa is the country that most significantly increased the share of public money allocated to this sector last year, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Reactions and Criticisms
The president's statements do not seem to convince the inhabitants of North Kivu, quite the opposite. Speaking to the French-speaking broadcaster Radio France Internationale (RFI), the president of the urban coordination of civil society in Butembo, Mathe Saanane, said he was "not at all reassured" by the head of state's remarks and emphasized the shortcomings at the level of military command, which he said "is not up to the challenge in the province."
Opposition leader Moïse Katumbi, a multiple-time presidential candidate, also referred to the "brothers and sisters in the east of the country who die every day" in his criticisms of Tshisekedi, whom he considers responsible for a system that "does not work" and where "the suffering is total."
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