Hundreds of civilians attended a two-week training program run by the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, aimed at preparing a new class of “executives” to support the group’s administration rather than its front-line fighters.
The program, held in September near Rutshuru in North Kivu province, included basic weapons handling and military exercises, but its primary focus, according to four trainees and a 32-page M23 charter, was on Congo’s political history and the creation of a federal state aligned with the group’s stated values of commitment, determination, sacrifice, and discipline.
“You have come here for training to understand why we’re leading this fight and what we need to do to free the country,” M23 commander Sultani Makenga told the attendees in a video from September 2. “We think you’ve taken that on board.” In response, the attendees shouted, “Yes, Commander.”
The civilian cadre is designed to form the backbone of M23’s parallel administration in the areas it seized in January, marking a significant effort to entrench governance structures independent of Kinshasa. The charter, which guides the civilian training, has not previously been reported.
The M23’s state-building efforts include installing provincial governors and mayors, managing local taxes, repairing roads, and even issuing travel visas for visitors to territory under its control. While U.S. officials have lauded a peace agreement signed in Washington on December 4 by Congo and Rwanda, M23 is not a participant in that deal. Fighting in eastern Congo continues, and the group is pursuing separate negotiations in Doha, Qatar.
Despite the formal peace efforts, M23 has effectively tripled its military forces in the past year, consolidating control over its territory and establishing a self-sufficient governance structure. Reuters’ reporting confirms that the group is nurturing financial institutions and asserting independence from Kinshasa.
“There’s no way they’re going to implement any of the peace deals,” said Jason Stearns, a Congo expert and former U.N. panel member. “Their approach to the peace process is to hold on to power as long as possible.”
Residents under M23 rule reported that while some order has been restored after years of chaos, strict adherence to the rebels’ rules is mandatory. The combination of ongoing conflict and M23’s parallel state-building raises concerns that eastern Congo could face a protracted and entrenched fracture, perpetuating cycles of violence in a region with decades of instability.
