In a televised address on Thursday, November 3, 2022, the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) called on the country's youth to "organize into vigilance groups" in response to the M23, which, he reaffirmed, enjoys "support from Rwanda." According to President Félix Tshisekedi, the war imposed on the DRC by Rwanda demands sacrifices. Hence, his call for compatriots to "set aside [their] differences" in order to stand united. He accused Rwanda of harboring expansionist ambitions, with its main interest being the appropriation of Congolese mineral resources. To achieve this, he claims, Rwanda is working to destabilize eastern Congo and create a lawless zone to fulfill its criminal ambitions.

This interstate crisis, sparked by the recent offensive of the M23 rebel group—which has seized control of several localities in eastern DRC—undermines the process of stabilizing the region. This area has become a “gray zone” of insecurity in the country, given that the pacification of eastern DRC depends on a sincere and joint commitment from both parties. However, following the expulsion of the Rwandan ambassador from the DRC and the recall of the Congolese chargé d’affaires from Kigali, the Congolese government appears to have opted for unilateralism in its efforts to secure its territory.

One can only hope that the patriotic fervor President Tshisekedi is calling for will lead to the consolidation of a genuine popular defense architecture capable of enabling the Congolese state to address the security challenges facing its territorial space.