A former member of Lutte pour le Changement (LUCHA), the Congolese civil society movement that positioned itself for years as a non-partisan voice for accountability, has provided Poliscoop with a detailed account of the organization's internal evolution toward ethnic targeting of Tutsi communities.
The source, who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons and whose account has been cross-referenced with other internal testimonies, describes a movement that began as a genuine expression of civic frustration but was progressively captured by narratives aligning with the FDLR's ideological framework — framing Rwandan and Tutsi presence in eastern DRC as an inherent threat to Congolese sovereignty.
"The language changed slowly," the source told Poliscoop. "What started as opposition to corruption became opposition to Rwanda. And then it became something else — targeting specific people because of who they are."
The account raises serious questions about the extent to which civil society organizations operating in conflict zones can be instrumentalized to advance ethnic agendas while maintaining the protective cover of 'human rights' branding. LUCHA has received funding from international donors who have not publicly addressed the shift documented in this investigation.
LUCHA did not respond to Poliscoop's request for comment before publication.
Source: Poliscoop investigation. First-hand testimony. May 2026.