The March 23 Movement/Alliance Fleuve Congo (M23/AFC) has graduated 395 grassroots politico-administrative cadres to promote its ideology in areas under its control in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The cadres completed their training at the Kanombe Training Centre in Rutshuru Territory, North Kivu Province. According to Lawrence Kanyuka,the group’s spokesperson, the initiative is part of what he described as an irreversible transformation and refoundation of the State, aimed at building a new leadership.
Kanyuka says that the first cohort, named INTAKE 001 “Uongozi Bora (Kiswahili for good governance), adds to thousands of other cadres already trained in territories under M23/AFC control.
Speaking during the pass-out ceremony on Thursday, Major General Sultani Emmanuel Makenga, the group’s Chief of Staff urged the graduates to immediately apply their training in service to the population. He said the new cadre generation forms the foundation for what he termed the effective liberation and sustainable reconstruction of the DRC.
The graduates pledged commitment to advancing the movement’s ideology of change. Meanwhile, the M23/AFC has continued to establish parallel administrative structures, including local leaders, traditional chiefs, police, and judicial systems, in areas under its control.
These developments have raised concerns about the group’s willingness to withdraw from occupied territories, despite ongoing peace talks with the Congolese government mediated by Qatar and the United States.
Progress in the negotiations has remained fragile, with each side frequently accusing the other of violating commitments. During the ninth round of talks in Switzerland, the parties agreed to exchange prisoners of war by April 26, 2026. However, implementation remains uncertain due to disagreements over the location of the exchange. The Congolese government has proposed Beni Territory, while M23/AFC insists on the Bunagana border in Rutshuru Territory.
The rebel group, which re-emerged in 2022 under the leadership of Bertrand Bisimwa and Makenga, continues to engage in active conflict with government forces. The Congolese government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting the rebels, an allegation denied by both Kigali and M23/AFC leaders.