The leader of the M23 rebel group operating in Eastern DR Congo, Colonel Sultani Makenga, has said that if the DRC government wants peace, there will be peace, but if they opt for war, they will follow suit.

In a video released on July 6, 2023, Makenga dismissed the idea to disarm M23 and house it in military camps in the DRC and insisted that if the government wants peace, “there will be peace,” but if they opt for war, they are up to speed too.

His dismissal of the disarmament claim is contrary to the prior message issued by the M23 spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, stating the group had agreed to the demand of the East African heads of state to cease fire and withdraw as they waited for the DRC government to negotiate.

This is the first time Makenge has spoken since the resurgence of the armed movement in 2022, and he assured that he continues to demand a dialogue with Kinshasa.

Felix Tshisekedi, the president of the DRC, said that as much as he is willing to negotiate to end the conflict in the eastern region, he won’t be having talks with M23, more so with its head, Sultani Makenga.

“I will hold peace talks for the sake of our peace, but I will not negotiate with the M23 more so than Makenga,” said Tshisekedi.

In his defense, there is no question that Kinshasa is falling back into the failings of the past, including negotiations with armed groups.

Who IS Sultani Makenge?

Colonel Makenge is the military chief of the M23 rebel military group based in eastern DRC. Born on December 25, 1973, in Rutshuru, Makenge was raised in South Kivu and is of Tutsi ethnicity. He fought for the Rwandan Patriotic Front during the Rwandan Civil War.

In November 2012, the UN Security Council placed sanctions against In May 2013, the M23 rebels clashed with the FARDC, and there were rumors that Makenga was badly wounded.

On November 7, 2013, after the M23 was defeated by the FARDC backed by the UN FIB (Force Intervention Brigade), Makenga surrendered with hundreds of M23 fighters in Mgahinga National Park.