The AFC/M23 rebel movement, on Tuesday, August 12, announced the creation of a commission tasked with launching and overseeing the process of restoring judicial organs in territories under their control in eastern DR Congo.

The AFC Coordinator Corneille Nangaa and his deputy Bertrand Bisimwa, said in an announcement that the commission will work to re-establish judicial authority, including courts and tribunals, in areas seized from the Kinshasa government.

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The commission is made up of 25 members, with Délion Kimbulungu as its chairperson, Emmanuel Mugisa Tibasima his deputy and Damien Ndayambaje as the rapporteur.

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The move follows what the AFC/M23 described as the destruction and looting of court buildings, the burning of Munzenze Central Prison, and the intimidation of judicial personnel by forces loyal to the Congolese government early this year, when the took control of the major cities of Goma and Bukavu and their surroundings

The rebel leaders accuse Kinshasa of suspending or cancelling magistrates' allowances and administrative staff salaries to force them out of the "liberated areas."

According to the rebels, more than six months of "security and social stabilisation" in these territories has created conditions for judicial restoration, which they call a "strategic priority to guarantee the rule of law, combat impunity, and address the population's legal and security needs."

The statement says the initiative will also support ongoing peace and reconciliation efforts.

The AFC/M23 has not provided a timeline for when the judicial structures will begin operating.