The question of the intervention of foreign armed forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo is crucial, particularly in the current context of conflict with the March 23 Movement (M23), acting under the label of Rwanda in the eastern part of the country. In a press release posted on May 14, 2023, Matata Mponyo, former Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo and political actor in the opposition, gave his point of view on this thorny question. For him, the presence of the forces of the Regional Force of the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will not change the situation on the ground.
Based on the experience of the M23 war between 2012 and 2013, during which the city of Goma fell into the hands of the rebels before they were defeated by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Matata Mponyo believes that many of the problems facing the FARDC are a matter of leadership and governance. “Personally, I expect nothing from the EAC and SADC. What the FARDC lacks is quality governance to defeat this war of aggression, hidden under the name of M23″, he insists.
In this context, the former Prime Minister calls for support for the Congolese armed forces to defeat the M23 rebels, who are still supported militarily and materially by Rwanda. This joins the call launched by the USA for the withdrawal of Rwandan forces from the province of North Kivu.
Through the words of Matata Mponyo, we can therefore see that to defeat this war of aggression, it is not enough to intervene militarily, but also to work on the governance and leadership put in place in the Congolese armed forces. Be that as it may, the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo remains worrying, with considerable political, economic and social stakes. It is therefore necessary to closely follow the news in this country to better understand the current dynamics