The AFC/M23 has dismissed reports claiming it decided to withdraw from the city of Bukavu in South Kivu province.
A statement circulating on social media, allegedly attributed to the group’s deputy leader in charge of political affairs, democracy, and governance, Bertrand Bisimwa, suggested that the group had chosen to leave Bukavu in order to pave the way for lasting peace.
However, on March 21, the spokesperson of AFC/M23, Lawrence Kanyuka, rejected the statement as false, accusing the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo of fabricating it.
Kanyuka claimed the alleged statement was intended to distract public attention from an attack carried out by Congolese forces in Goma on March 11, 2026.
He added that no misinformation could erase the memory of that attack, which reportedly resulted in the death of Karine Buisset, a French national working with UNICEF.
AFC/M23 has controlled Bukavu since February 2025. The rumors about a possible withdrawal come after the group reportedly pulled out of Uvira in January 2026.
