Speaking at a press conference in Goma on Wednesday, senior officials said the real crisis is in areas still governed by Kinshasa, accusing the government of spreading “alarmist messaging” for political motives.

According to AFC/M23, humanitarian actors are operating freely in Masisi, Rutshuru, Lubero and Nyiragongo, with 11 UN agencies, 91 international NGOs and 603 national NGOs active in the region. The movement said that nearly 5,000 aid workers have passed through these areas since April without obstruction, and that aid routes remain open, stable and secure.

Officials also pointed to signs of economic recovery, including the removal of illegal roadblocks, harmonised taxation, reduced extortion and well-supplied markets, noting that food prices have fallen as a result. They highlighted the large return of displaced families to their homes as further evidence of improving security.

The movement criticised the closure of banks in the areas it controls, calling it a politically driven decision by Kinshasa designed to manufacture financial distress. It also dismissed external pressure regarding the reopening of Goma airport, arguing that there is no humanitarian justification for it since road corridors are functioning.

AFC/M23 called on international partners to move away from emergency framing and instead support reconstruction, restoration of social services and long-term development in the territories under its administration.