M23 rebels deny blocking locals from accessing gardens

North Kivu, DRC | THE INDEPENDENT |  The March 23 Movement (M23) rebels have denied accusations that they are  blocking locals from accessing gardens in Rutshuru territory, North Kivu province in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

On Tuesday, a section of locals led by Selon Jean-Claude Mbabaze, President of Civil Society in Rutshuru came out and accused the M23 rebels of blocking them from accessing their gardens.

Mbabaze argued that although this is the season of harvesting crops like beans and maize, the rebels are refusing locals from accessing their gardens. He said  that many cases of locals being blocked are registered in Kaunga area, approximately 5 kilometeres north of the town of Kiwanja.

Mbabaze says that denying the locals access to the gardens is putting them at risk of dying of hunger as well as failure to harvest and sell in time. He also accuses the rebels of allegedly impounding a vehicle carrying around 10 tons of food products towards Goma city last week.  Rutshuru is one of the major food basket areas supplying Goma city.

However, in a statement released on Wednesday evening, M23 rebels through their political spokesperson; Lawrence Kanyuka strongly refute the accusations.   Kanyuka instead argues that the complainants are being used by the government as a propaganda tool with an intention of tarnishing M23’s reputation.

Kanyuka also wonders why Mbabaze who is one of the complainants fails to recognize how M23 fighters protect locals whenever they are praying from his operational Pentecostal church near Rutshuru town.

Following the withdraw of Ugandan, Kenyan, South Sudanese and Burundian troops deployed under East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) in December 2023 after DR Congo government refused to extend the mandate, M23 rebels re-occupied the positions in Rutshuru, Nyiragongo and Masisi territories.

Currently there is a lull of gun sound on all the fronts, but all parties remain on alert as they keep their positions. The last attack happened on 6th, January, 2024 when Government forces with the use of combat drones struck M23 positions in Nyongera, Kiwanja  in Rutshuru territory.

In March 2022, M23 led by Bertrand Bisimwa and General Sultan Makenga launched a war against the government.  The DR Congo government accuses Rwanda of backing M23, but Rwanda and M23 strongly deny it.  The rebels claim to fight against bad leadership in DR Congo based on corruption, xenophobia, and discrimination.

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