Corneille Nangaa Addresses Claims of Rwandan Support for AFC/M23
Corneille Nangaa, the leader of the AFC (Alliance Fleuve Congo) , a coalition bringing together political groups and armed movements including M23 has declared that claims Rwanda supports their operations are baseless lies, stressing that they do not need any support from Rwanda at all.
In a candid interview with CNN, Corneille Nangaa, the DR.Congo political leader associated with the M23 movement, dismissed widespread accusations linking the group to Rwandan support.
Speaking from Goma, a region currently under M23 control, Nangaa responded to mounting international scrutiny and revealed insights into the group’s position on peace and the decades-long conflict with Kinshasa.
“We receive nothing from Rwanda. In fact, we don’t need anything from there,” he said firmly, refuting allegations long propagated by Congolese President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo and his allies. According to Nangaa, these claims are politically motivated and serve to distract from internal failures in governance and security.
The M23 group, which has been active in North Kivu and other parts of eastern Congo, is often accused by rights groups and the Congolese government of committing human rights abuses and benefiting from foreign backing.
Human Rights Watch recently reported that M23 was responsible for the deaths of over 140 civilians near Virunga National Park—claims Nangaa flatly denied.
“I do not accept and I condemn those reports because they are propaganda originating from Kinshasa,” Nangaa said. “Those making these claims have been paid.”
READ ALSO : DRC President: Trump Should Receive Top Peace Award if He Unites Rwanda and Congo!
When asked whether M23 would consider withdrawing from territories it controls under a future agreement, Nangaa suggested openness, provided that it addressed the root causes of the conflict. “If it solves the root of the problem, there is nothing we won’t give up. It would all end,” he stated.
Meanwhile, geopolitical interests in the region remain tense. The United States recently drafted a potential economic agreement between Rwanda and the DRC, with a focus on mineral exploitation—one of the core drivers of the ongoing violence. Nangaa responded sharply to this development, criticizing President Tshisekedi directly. “Tshisekedi doesn’t own a single mine. He has nothing. He is a thief.”
On September 21, 2025, M23 forces captured Nzibira, a mineral-rich town in Walungu Territory, North Kivu. The area is particularly known for its deposits of cassiterite and gold, further intensifying the stakes for all involved parties.
READ ALSO : M23 Rebels Capture Strategic Town of Nzibira
Despite growing international pressure, the most viable path to peace appears to lie in ongoing diplomatic efforts. Talks between Rwanda and the DRC, mediated by the United States, are reportedly progressing toward a peace agreement. Simultaneously, negotiations between M23 and the Congolese government are expected to resume in Doha, Qatar—though recent Israeli airstrikes in the region have caused delays.
As the conflict gains renewed global attention, President Tshisekedi, currently attending the UN General Assembly in New York, made headlines by telling Bloomberg that U.S. President Donald Trump could deserve the Nobel Peace Prize if he succeeded in resolving the conflict and reconciling Rwanda and Congo.
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