There is no rift, dissent, tension or division whatsoever within the AFC/M23 leadership, contrary to the rumours.

Our colleagues at Africa Intelligence recently published an article citing alleged tension within the AFC/M23 leadership, claiming an internal crisis pitting the political coordination led by coordinator Corneille Nangaa, Bertrand Bisimwa and Freddy Kaniki against the military coordination, led by General Sultani Makenga.

It is worth questioning Africa Intelligence's editorial line on this particular file. In recent months, this outlet has repeatedly published pieces that, curiously, almost systematically echo Kinshasa's official narrative, seeking to portray the AFC/M23 as a weakened, divided movement running out of steam. A editorial consistency that raises questions about the genuine independence of their coverage of this issue.

Contrary to what this publication suggests, our investigations show that the AFC/M23 is today one of the best-structured political-military movements in the region. Its chain of command is clear, its political and military coordination operate in perfect complementarity, and every tier knows its role in running the movement.

This extraordinary discipline, which we have observed both on the ground and in the words of its leaders, stands in sharp contrast to the image of disarray that a certain brand of journalism, aligned with Kinshasa's interests, seeks to spread. A movement in internal crisis would not be able to hold such vast territory, nor maintain this level of cohesion over time.

It is true that in every family, problems never run short, for light illuminates men even as it draws insects. But shedding light does not mean fracturing, and this is precisely the confusion that certain complacently relayed narratives foster.

Recently, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Kinshasa government and Minister of the Interior, Jacquemain Shabani Lukoo, made statements announcing that he was on the verge of recapturing the territories under AFC/M23 control within a short timeframe.

As the reality on the ground works against them, a campaign of manipulation on social media and disinformation, funded by certain circles close to Kinshasa, has been set in motion and Africa Intelligence has become, whether it likes it or not, one of its most effective relays.

These recurring rumours of tension are, according to our sources, merely a continuation of this media war, orchestrated to discredit a movement whose demands are nonetheless legitimate and well-documented, rather than to engage in genuine dialogue with it.

The AFC/M23 in fact carries an alternative vision for a Congo that has been mired in security crises and chronic misgovernance since 1960. Its leaders are united around a single objective: a new Congo, reformed economically and politically, finally able to break free from decades of institutional failure a project that Kinshasa's propaganda, relayed by certain media, seeks to twist into a narrative of division that simply does not exist.

What emerges from all this is that the AFC/M23 leadership stands in perfect harmony. North Kivu's deputy governor, Willy Manzi Ngarambe, made this clear on social media, in response to these reports a clarification that confirms there is, to date, no real fracture within the movement, and one that should prompt Africa Intelligence to reconsider the rigour of its coverage of this issue.