Peace talks collapsed after the group withdrew over EU sanctions, with rebel leader Corneille Nangaa rejecting talks without rebels.
The head of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), an armed coalition that includes the M23 rebel group, has said that international sanctions and a planned minerals partnership with the United States will not stop the ongoing fighting in the country’s east.
Corneille Nangaa, who leads the alliance, told the Associated Press that rebel fighters will not be deterred, even with bounties placed on their leaders by the Congolese government.
“We will fight like people who got nothing to lose in order to secure the future of our country,” Nangaa said, dismissing recent remarks by President Félix Tshisekedi, who said that a minerals deal with Washington could bring peace and stability to the region.
Since launching a major offensive in late January, M23 rebels have seized key cities including Goma and Bukavu, as well as the strategic town of Walikale, giving them control over a critical road connecting four provinces in the east; North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo and Maniema.
Thousands of Congolese soldiers have reportedly fled or surrendered, fuelling fears of a wider regional war as neighbouring countries’ forces are also present on the ground.
According to the US Department of Commerce, DR Congo’s vast mineral wealth, valued at $24 trillion (€22 trillion), remains underdeveloped.
However, the US government has not confirmed the existence of any formal deal.
Nangaa condemned the government’s strategy, arguing that the conflict should be addressed internally.
“This problem can be better resolved by the concerned Congolese, not foreigners with different geopolitical agendas,” he said.
“Trying to bribe the US with mines can undermine US credibility.”
Peace talks collapse
Peace negotiations facilitated by Angola collapsed last week after the rebels withdrew in protest at European Union sanctions targeting their leadership.
Nangaa also rejected a recent Qatar-held meeting between Congolese and Rwandan officials, saying any talks that exclude the AFC would not lead to lasting peace.
“Anything regarding us which is done without us, it’s against us,” he stated.
The group has said it would only consider direct dialogue with Kinshasa if its grievances are acknowledged.
While UN experts estimate up to 4,000 Rwandan troops have supported the rebels, Nangaa insists the AFC is an independent alliance committed to tackling “the root cause of more than 30 years of instability in our country.”
