The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has expressed reluctance to receive 5,000 soldiers captured by the AFC/M23 coalition, citing fears they could turn against the state.
AFC/M23 is currently holding thousands of Congolese government soldiers, many of whom were captured during fighting to seize the city of Goma and surrounding areas in late January 2025.
On March 8, 2026, AFC/M23 announced that it would hand over 5,000 captured soldiers to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to facilitate their transfer to Kinshasa.
The group said the decision to release the soldiers, currently held at the Rumangabo military base, was intended to support ongoing peace talks with the DRC government and contribute to lasting stability.
On April 8, 2026, Radio France Internationale (RFI) reported that although the ICRC is ready to transport the soldiers to Kinshasa, the DRC government has not yet agreed to receive them due to concerns that some may be hostile or compromised.
According to the report, AFC/M23 is putting pressure on the government to accept the soldiers, but a source close to President Félix Tshisekedi questioned the urgency of the request.
“Why are they being pressured? Are they doing this voluntarily or is there another hidden motive?” the source asked.
Earlier, on February 20, 2026, AFC/M23 leader Corneille Nangaa announced plans to release 230 soldiers captured in Goma, although it remains unclear whether they were transferred to Kinshasa with ICRC support.
In April 2025, 1,359 DRC soldiers and police officers who had taken refuge in bases of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) near Goma were transported to Kinshasa following negotiations between the ICRC and AFC/M23.
