Corneille Nangaa says Congolese citizens are being branded “Rwandan” based on their origins, citing attacks against musician Innoss’B as evidence of a growing crisis of identity and belonging.
GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo — The leader of the AFC/M23 political-military coalition has accused Congolese authorities and allied groups of systematically targeting citizens from eastern Congo by questioning their nationality and branding them “Rwandan” because of their origins or family background.
Corneille Nangaa, coordinator of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), made the allegations during a press conference in Goma on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, where he also addressed the humanitarian crisis in Minembwe and the status of the ongoing peace process.
Innoss’B as a Case Study
Nangaa singled out Congolese musician Innoss’B, a native of Goma, as an example of the broader phenomenon. He said the artist has faced repeated attacks and continues to be labeled “Rwandan” solely because he comes from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The accusations against Innoss’B are well-documented. The artist has faced years of online harassment questioning his Congolese identity, with critics pointing to his collaborations with Rwandan artists and his Swahili-speaking background as evidence of foreign allegiance.
In July 2025, Innoss’B addressed the accusations directly in a TikTok live session, saying he had grown tired of defending his nationality.
“Those who come with this kind of comment, courage to you because I no longer have that time. I don’t have the time to prove to you that I am more Congolese than you or less than you,” he said.
“No one is paid because they are Congolese or Rwandan. The one who thinks my Congolese identity doesn’t suit them, honestly, that’s not my problem”.
The attacks against Innoss’B have had tangible consequences. Reports indicate the artist was forced to cancel certain productions due to the online campaigns against him. Congo Check, a fact-checking organization, has repeatedly debunked claims about his nationality, confirming he is Congolese by both parents.
A Broader Pattern
Nangaa said the problem extends beyond public figures to ordinary citizens from eastern Congo, who face discrimination based on where they come from or where their families live.
The accusations are not new. In September 2025, members of the UDPS “parlementaires debout” criticized Innoss’B’s presence at a FONAREV conference in New York, with some questioning his Congolese nationality and making derogatory remarks about his physical appearance.
The attacks against Innoss’B have also become entangled in music industry rivalries. In September 2026, fans of fellow Congolese artist Fally Ipupa launched a wave of social media attacks questioning Innoss’B’s origins and his command of Lingala, the language predominantly spoken in Kinshasa. Supporters of Innoss’B, known as the “Griffes du Tigre,” responded by denouncing what they described as discrimination against Swahili-speaking populations from eastern Congo.
Regional Context
The issue of nationality and belonging is particularly sensitive in eastern DRC, where communities have faced decades of violence and displacement linked, in part, to questions of identity and citizenship.
The AFC/M23 has repeatedly accused Kinshasa of targeting specific communities, particularly Tutsi populations in the Hauts-Plateaux of Minembwe, through military operations and humanitarian blockades. In June 2026, the group issued a communication denouncing what it described as “ethnic cleansing” in the Fizi highlands and accusing authorities of systematically denying entire communities their Congolese citizenship.
The Doha peace process, mediated by Qatar with support from the United States, Togo, and Switzerland, has sought to address the root causes of the conflict. A joint communiqué issued in April 2026 committed both parties to ensuring humanitarian access and protecting civilians. Verification missions have been conducted in Minembwe and Masisi through the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism Plus.
Press Conference Context
Nangaa’s remarks came during a press conference held as African Union facilitators were in Goma for consultations aimed at advancing the peace process. The AU Panel of Facilitators, which includes former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi, met with Nangaa and other AFC/M23 officials before holding their own press conference.
Nangaa used the occasion to call on mediators to move beyond general statements and secure “precise, clear and verifiable commitments” from all parties, backed by monitoring mechanisms. He said the Doha process could only be sustainable if it addressed the root causes of the conflict and ensured concrete measures to protect civilians.
The AFC/M23 also used the press conference to highlight ongoing military operations in Shanje and Rugezi, accusing Kinshasa-allied forces of conducting attacks despite the presence of the AU delegation and the existence of a ceasefire protocol.
For Nangaa, the treatment of Innoss’B and others from eastern Congo is not separate from the broader conflict—it is one of its root causes.
“The questioning of their belonging to the Congolese nation,” the AFC said in a June 2026 communication, “constitutes one of the drivers of the violence they face today and one of the deep causes of the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo”.
