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Congo River Alliance

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Congo River Alliance
French: Alliance Fleuve Congo
Overview
Established15 December 2023; 19 months ago (2023-12-15)
StateDemocratic Republic of Congo
LeaderCorneille Nangaa
HeadquartersGoma
Websitehttps://alliancefleuvecongo.org/

The Congo River Alliance (French: Alliance Fleuve Congo; AFC) is a Congolese rebel coalition led by former Independent National Electoral Commission President Corneille Nangaa. The coalition consists of armed opposition groups and political parties that seek to overthrow the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The coalition's principal member is the March 23 Movement (M23), a Rwandan-backed rebel group which has been the target of economic sanctions by the United States and United Nations.[1]

Background

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Corneille Nangaa in February 2023

Corneille Nangaa, the future leader of the group, previously served as the director of the DRC's Independent National Electoral Commission from 2015 to 2021. In that role, he oversaw elections in the country and certified Félix Tshisekedi as the winner of the disputed 2018 presidential election, despite numerous reports that Tshisekedi's main rival, Martin Fayulu, had won.[2]

In February 2023, he announced the formation of a new political party, the Action for the Dignity of Congo and its People (ADCP), with a platform focused on transforming the DRC into a "business land." He planned to run candidates at all levels for the upcoming 2023 general election,[3] including running for the presidency himself. He later engaged in a public dispute with Tshisekedi over the alleged backroom deals linked to the 2018 vote, and in August 2023, exiled himself from the country, believing his security was no longer guaranteed there.[2][4]

History

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See also: M23 campaign (2022–present) and Timeline of the M23 campaign (2025)

On 15 December 2023, a few days before the 2023 elections, Nangaa signed an agreement in Nairobi, Kenya with M23 and nine other armed groups, forming a new political-military alliance at achieving "national unity and stability" in the DRC. Nangaa criticized the inability of the government to maintain authority, promising to restore stability and create a more suitable economic environment. Nangaa also denounced the "plundering of public property" and "misappropriation of funds".[5][6]

M23 called the new alliance a platform for peace, while the ruling party called it a "kind of a rebellion". The Kenyan government distanced itself from Nangaa's actions but rejected the DRC's request to arrest the opposition figures on the basis of freedom of speech. Nangaa later announced that his platform comprised 17 political parties, two political groupings, and several armed groups.[5][6]

On 25 July 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on the Congo River Alliance.[1]

On 6 August 2024, President Félix Tshisekedi accused former President Joseph Kabila of backing the Congo River Alliance.[7]

On 8 August 2024, a DRC military court tried and sentenced Nangaa in absentia to the death penalty for war crimes, participation in an insurrection, and treason.[8]

On 30 November 2024, the group rejected a ceasefire that was mediated by Angola under the African Union's mandate, accusing the Kinshasa government of violating the truce.[9]

On 25 January 2025, the group called on "all members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) present in Goma and its surroundings to lay down their weapons within 48 hours". One of its members, M23, recently captured Sake, a strategic town 27 kilometres from Goma, suggesting that the group might move imminently to capture the city.[10]

After two days of fighting, on 27 January 2025, M23 claimed to have captured Goma, the capital of North Kivu. In an interview before the offensive on the city, Nangaa said, "Our objective is neither Goma nor Bukavu but Kinshasa, the source of all the problems."[11]

The group took control of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, on 16 February 2025.[12][13]

On 9 March 2025, the Front Commun de la Résistance (FCR)—a coalition of the FPP-AP and Mapenzi's Nduma Défense du Congo-Rénové (NDC-R) formally aligned with M23, AFC units, and joined the Congo River Alliance.[14]

On 19 March 2025, the M24 movement took control of Walikale, but claimed to have withdrawn from the area three days later.[15][16]

Members

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Members of the Congo River Alliance include:

Parallel administration

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Territory held by the Congo River Alliance shown in pink

The Congo River Alliance controls around 34,000 square kilometers of territory in the North Kivu and South Kivu areas including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu.[18] Other towns controlled include Bunagana, Kiwanja,[19] Kitchanga,[20] Rubaya [21] and Rutshuru. It has established a parallel administration for the areas under its control.[22][23]

The alliance has appointed the following as "governors":

Reaction

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United Nations The United Nations Security Council through Resolution 2773 adopted in February 2025, called on M23 to stop all of its offensives and to reverse the creation of parallel state institutions.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Public Domain One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: "Treasury Sanctions Rebel Alliance Driving Instability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo". United States Department of the Treasury. Washington. 25 July 2024. Archived from the original on 28 July 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Rolley, Sonia; Lewis, David (27 January 2025). "Congo's ex-election chief turned rebel boss builds insurgency". Reuters.
  3. ^ "RDC : Corneille Nangaa présente son parti politique « Action pour la Dignité du Congo et de son Peuple »". Radio Okapi (in French). 26 February 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  4. ^ "Corneille Nangaa en exil : « Ma sécurité n'était plus garantie au pays »". Radio Okapi (in French). 29 August 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  5. ^ a b "DRC: Corneille Nangaa joins forces with M23 to create political platform". Africanews. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Kenya Distances Itself from Controversial DRC Opposition Figure". Voice of America. 18 December 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  7. ^ Banchereau, Mark (7 August 2024). "Congo's president accuses former leader of backing a US-sanctioned rebel coalition". Associated Press. Dakar, Senegal. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Congolese military court hands down death sentence to leader of rebel coalition and 25 others". AP News. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  9. ^ Nakato, Catherine (1 December 2024). "M23 rebels reject Angola-mediated ceasefire". Nilepost News. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  10. ^ "Democratic Republic of the Congo: Briefing". Security Council Report. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  11. ^ "Rwandan-backed rebels enter Congo's Goma in major escalation". Reuters. 27 January 2025.
  12. ^ url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgmj00zjrpo
  13. ^ "Bukavu in DR Congo falls to Rwandan-backed M23 rebels". 16 February 2025.
  14. ^ Sengenya, Claude (10 March 2025). "RDC: le chef milicien Kabido du FPP-AP fait allégeance au M23, des analystes pas surpris" [DRC: FPP-AP militia leader Kabido pledges allegiance to M23, analysts not surprised]. Actualite.cd (in French). Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  15. ^ Rolley, Sonia (22 March 2025). "Congo M23 rebels say they will withdraw from seized town to support peace push". Reuters. London, England, United Kingdom. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  16. ^ "Est de la RDC: les rebelles de l'AFC/M23 annoncent leur retrait de Walikale-centre, mais restent visibles dans la cité" [Eastern DRC: AFC/M23 rebels announce their withdrawal from Walikale-centre, but remain visible in the city]. Actualite.cd (in French). 22 March 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g "RDC: Corneille Nangaa se radicalise davantage et noue une alliance avec le M23". Actualite.cd (in French). 15 December 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  18. ^ https://nilepost.co.ug/ethiopia/268768/tshisekedi-nangaa-show-no-unity-on-drc-s-independence-anniversary
  19. ^ Kabumba, Justin; Larson, Krista (29 October 2022). "Rebels makes new advance, and Congo expels Rwandan envoy". ABC News. Archived from the original on 16 March 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  20. ^ "M23 rebels take control of eastern DR Congo town". Al Jazeera. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  21. ^ Mulegwa, Pascal (27 February 2023). "Congolese M23 rebels seize major mining town of Rubaya". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  22. ^ https://www.assahifa.com/english/africa/u-s-brokered-deal-between-congo-and-rwanda-touted-as-step-toward-peace-despite-uncertainties/
  23. ^ https://nilepost.co.ug/ethiopia/262209/south-kivu-governor-urges-youth-to-join-m23-forces
  24. ^ "AFC/M23 appoints new governor for North Kivu". 5 February 2025.
  25. ^ https://www.independent.co.ug/m23-appoints-colonel-bahati-musanga-north-kivu-governor/
  26. ^ "M23 appoint Emmanuel Birato Governor of South Kivu".
  27. ^ https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=122194279442324039&set=pcb.122194279538324039
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