The Alliance Fleuve Congo/March 23 Movement (AFC/M23) has strengthened its armed wing after graduating 9,318 newly trained commandos during a ceremony held in Tchanzu, Rutshuru Territory, in North Kivu Province.
The group said the recruits completed months of specialized commando training and will reinforce the Armée Révolutionnaire Congolaise (ARC), AFC/M23’s military wing, in operations aimed at maintaining security and protecting civilians in territories under its control.
The graduation ceremony was attended by senior AFC/M23 officials, including military commander Gen. Sultan Makenga, who used the occasion to outline the group’s position on the security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and its alliance with the MRDP-Twirwaneho armed group.
Makenga alleged that a coalition comprising the Congolese armed forces (FARDC), Burundian troops, Wazalendo militias and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) had planned attacks against the Banyamulenge community and forces protecting them.
He said MRDP-Twirwaneho took up arms in response to what it viewed as an imminent threat to the Banyamulenge population, adding that AFC/M23 decided to support the group because it believed the opposing coalition held superior military strength and that civilians required protection.
Makenga also claimed that cooperation between AFC/M23 and MRDP-Twirwaneho had helped improve security in parts of South Kivu, particularly in Minembwe and other areas inhabited by the Banyamulenge community. He said the alliance would continue pursuing what it described as its mission of protecting civilians and preventing further instability.
AFC/M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka described the graduation as a major boost to the ARC’s operational capacity. He said the recruits had completed intensive military training and were prepared to undertake security duties and military operations in areas under the group’s control.
The ceremony concluded with military demonstrations by the newly graduated commandos, including hand-to-hand combat, rapid weapon assembly and disassembly drills, marksmanship exercises and other displays showcasing the skills acquired during their training.
