DR Congo army commanders questioned amid escalation of violence in east

KIGALI, Rwanda

The military in the Democratic Republic of Congo said Monday that 41 senior army officers have been summoned for questioning as part of an investigation into the defeat of government troops during fighting with M23 rebels in the country’s volatile east.

Those summoned by the General Inspectorate of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo include 35 generals and six colonels, army spokesman Maj. Gen. Sylvain Ekenge told reporters.

He said the process concerns all officers who have assumed command responsibilities since the capture of the border town of Bunagana by the M23 rebels in June 2022.

According to Ekenge, the questioning is aimed at establishing the responsibilities of each officer in the military setbacks faced on the battlefield.

This comes as the government and M23 rebels accused each other of violating a ceasefire, despite ongoing talks in Qatar aimed at ending the conflict.

Last year, a military court in eastern Congo sentenced 25 soldiers to death for “fleeing the enemy” during fighting with M23 rebels.

Since 2021, the M23, which is at the heart of the conflict in eastern Congo, has controlled significant territory, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu, which it seized earlier this year.

The UN, Kinshasa and others accuse neighboring Rwanda of supporting the M23, which Kigali denies.