The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has ruled out the participation of the AFC/M23 alliance in a planned national dialogue announced by President Félix Tshisekedi, insisting that the talks are intended exclusively for Congolese stakeholders.
DRC Government Spokesperson and Minister of Communication Patrick Muyaya said allowing AFC/M23 to join the dialogue would be equivalent to giving Rwanda a role in a process designed to address internal Congolese issues.
Muyaya made the remarks on Friday, July 31, 2026, while responding to calls from opposition figures and political parties urging the government to make the dialogue inclusive by involving all parties, including AFC/M23, which has been fighting government forces in eastern DRC.
“Do you want us to bring Rwanda into a dialogue between Congolese people?” Muyaya asked.
He said the dialogue announced by President Tshisekedi aims to address domestic challenges and promote unity among Congolese citizens, arguing that AFC/M23 should not participate because Kinshasa considers it an armed group with foreign backing rather than a legitimate political actor.
The Congolese government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting AFC/M23, allegations Kigali has denied.
Muyaya reiterated Kinshasa’s position that insecurity in eastern DRC is linked to Rwanda, saying the government does not want the AFC/M23 conflict to be merged with a national dialogue meant to address internal political issues.
The decision comes amid growing calls from opposition parties and other political actors for a broad-based dialogue involving all Congolese actors, including armed groups, as a possible pathway towards resolving decades of instability in the eastern part of the country.
AFC/M23 has consistently maintained that the conflict in eastern DRC cannot be solved through military action alone and that political dialogue is necessary to address the underlying causes of the crisis.
AFC Coordinator Corneille Nangaa recently announced that the alliance would not attend the dialogue proposed by Tshisekedi, describing it as a “political drama” and accusing the president of failing to honour previous agreements.
Nangaa said that while Kinshasa continues to oppose AFC/M23’s participation in national talks, the alliance will continue advocating for negotiations involving all parties affected by the conflict as the way to achieve a lasting political solution.
