M23 rebels question plans to bar North Kivu from DR Congo polls

North Kivu, DRC | THE INDEPENDENT |  Bertrand Bisimwa, the president of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels, has voiced concern about the possibility that several areas in the country will miss out in December’s national election in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).

Last month, the government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya stated that certain conditions in parts of North Kivu province, particularly in Rutshuru, Nyiragongo, and Masisi territories, due to occupation by members of the M23 rebels’ militia, might prevent elections from taking place there.

Bisimwa contends that excluding these territories from the electoral process would render the election illegitimate. He asserts that denying locals the opportunity to elect their president echoes past situations in Beni and Butembo territories during the 2018 election, where claims of legitimacy were challenged.

Expressing concern, Bisimwa questions the repercussions if voters from these excluded territories reject the elected president, emphasizing that the affected communities, despite their circumstances, deserve their right to participate in electing their leader.

The election, scheduled for December 20, 2022, overseen by the country’s Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), has attracted 25 candidates vying against the incumbent Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, who seeks a second term.

The conflict between the M23 rebels and the DR Congo government has resulted in the displacement of approximately one million people. Efforts by the East African Community Regional Force to mediate the conflict have yet to yield success, with recent skirmishes, such as the gunfight in Kalenga, escalating tensions.

In March 2022, M23 rebels, led by Bertrand Bisimwa and General Sultan Makenga, initiated a conflict against the government. The DR Congo government accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebellion, a claim both Rwanda and M23 vehemently deny. The rebels assert their fight is against governance issues within DR Congo, citing corruption, xenophobia, and discrimination as key concerns.