In a powerful and urgent message, Nzanga Mobutu, son of former President Mobutu Sese Seko, shared a statement on X (formerly Twitter): a national call to arms, not with bullets, but with truth. Drawing chilling parallels between the 1996–1997 invasion of Zaire and today’s hybrid warfare of Rwanda-backed M23 in eastern Congo, Mobutu warns that Rwanda’s aggression has evolved. No longer confined to the battlefield, it now thrives through narratives, media spin, and disinformation.
Mobutu Nzanga Ngbangawe
We must return to an essential fact that many have forgotten. During the invasion of Zaire in 1996 and 1997, Rwanda did not just advance militarily: it also won the communication war in parallel. This media victory shaped international perceptions, blurred responsibilities, weakened our voice, and made the truth of our people inaudible. The propaganda that was deployed at that time prepared world opinion to accept the unacceptable, leaving Zaire isolated and vulnerable.