Eastern Congo – Welcome to the Political Theatre of the Absurd

by PD Lawton      1 Jan 2026

M23 are lying, the media are lying, Qatar is lying, Rwanda is lying, and the world is lying about M23

Since January 2025, M23 have occupied Goma, provincial capital of North Kivu. After Goma M23 occupied Bukavu, provincial capital of South Kivu.

M23 marched on Uvira just weeks before Christmas. Uvira is a key strategic city on the border of Burundi.

False information across media states that M23 withdrew recently from Uvira due to pressure from Washington. It is a lie.

M23 are still occupying Uvira.

Rwanda lies about its support of M23

Rwanda denies backing M23

M23 is largely comprised of Rwandan soldiers. M23 is in effect the Rwandan Defence Force (RDF). M23 is also comprised of Kenyan and Ugandan soldiers since NATO gave President Ruto its blessing to back Rwanda.

M23 is portrayed as a rebel armed movement that exists to protect the rights of Banyamulenge.

Banyamulenge are supposedly Rwandan Tutsi.

North Kivu is under M23 control. It is 59,483 square kilometres which is larger than Croatia and slightly smaller than the Republic of Ireland. South Kivu is mostly under M23 control. It is 69,130 square kilometres. It is exactly the same size as the Republic of Ireland. Combined North and South Kivu are the same size as Greece. How can a rebel militia mostly control an area the size of Greece without substantial backing?

M23 are a professional, highly trained, extremely well equipped army. M23 are better equipped than FARDC (Congolese armed forces). The Congolese armed forces contain compromised elements. The entire Congolese army was infiltrated by pro-Rwandan enemies of Congo under the Sun City Agreement of 2003.

M23 could not exist without being rearmed and resupplied. SO WHO IS BACKING THEM?

Rwanda is backing M23

Rwanda has a war machine of an army because the EU funnels money into the Rwandan military. Rwanda receives foreign aid from the UK, USA and the EU. It is historically the recipient of the largest sum of foreign aid in Africa. It is the City of London Central African garrison. It uses its military strength to destabilize Tanzania, Mozambique, Burundi and DRC through terrorism.

Rwanda says it is protecting its national security because the FDLR pose a severe threat. It is a lie.

The FDLR do not exist in reality. An entity loosely resembling the FDLR exist as the forces of for the liberation of Rwanda. Kagame has been in power for 30 years. His party won the last few elections with over 95%. It is a lie. Rwandans live inside a prison. There is NO FREE SPEECH IN RWANDA.

Qatar LIES ABOUT its role in negotiating between M23 and DRC government. The negotiations are PURE THEATRE. Qatar is heavily invested in Rwanda. If the M23 lose power Qatar stands to lose considerable investment in the coltan and other refineries it has built in Rwanda in order to process STOLEN CONGOLESE MINERALS, primarily coltan and gold.

Qatar LIES ON BEHALF OF THE GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN of CRITICAL MINERALS because the UN knows that Rwanda is M23. The UN knows that M23 is a conventional army.

There already exists a REGIONAL WAR in Central Africa. On behalf of the City of London Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda, backed politically by South Africa are at war against the DRC and Burundi.