Sultani Makenga was born on December 25, 1973, in the town of Rutshuru, North Kivu province, located in the eastern part of the Congo.

[5][6] He has denied that M23 used child soldiers, characterizing the accusations from those such as Human Rights Watch as propaganda.

On November 7, 2013, after the M23 triumph the Congolese military backed by the UN FIB (Force Intervention Brigade), Makenga decide to retreat with hundreds of M23 fighters in Mgahinga National Park, Uganda.

[9] In early 2017, he tried to restart a guerilla war in the DRC with 200 men and succeeded, and some of his former militants were even hired by the Congolese government to crush protests.

[10] According to a 2024 report from the UN group of experts, he was traveling to Uganda and received active support for the M23 from the Ugandan military.