Others in Rutshuru describe far worse: the rape of schoolgirls, the confiscation of farm crops and the murder of those perceived as enemies. “Their attitude,” says another man, “is that everything nice and beautiful should belong to them: motorcycles, mobile phones, women.”
In a land of brutal militias and mass atrocities, Congo’s M23 rebels have claimed to be different: professional, disciplined, democratic and caring for the welfare of the people.
The rebels are obsessed with their image. They have a Facebook page. They issue press releases. They give speeches in favour of freedom and democracy. They pay money to young men to wave pro-M23 placards and hold orchestrated pro-rebel marches.
The rebel capital, Rutshuru, is a showcase for their ideology. Neat and tidy, without a scrap of trash to be seen, Rutshuru is supervised by taciturn young M23 members in clean new uniforms, with new radios and weaponry from their Rwandan sponsors.
Just as in Rwanda, anti-corruption signs are posted on the roads, and every adult is compelled to clean the city streets for four hours on one Saturday per month. “Our priority is the social welfare of the Congolese people,” says Benjamin Mbonimpa, the M23 administrator here.
Yet beneath this beautified surface, the rebels hold power by terror and violence. If you talk to Rutshuru’s residents in a secure place, away from the watchful eyes of rebels’ spies, they reveal the deadly reality of life under the M23.
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