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March 23 Movement (M23) rebels resumed hostilities in December 2021 and have since been gaining ground in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This armed group, whose last major offensive dates back to 2012, seized Bunagana, a strategic town on the Ugandan border, on June 13.
The Congolese government accuses its Rwandan neighbor by name of supporting the insurgents and of having committed “war crimes” on his floor. Uganda, which intervenes militarily in eastern DRC with the backing of the Congolese authorities, is also believed to be involved.
Friday, June 17, according to security sources, a Congolese soldier was killed and two Rwandan policemen and civilians injured during an exchange of fire at a border post in Goma, between the DRC and Rwanda, in a context of extreme tensions .
“Everyone is fighting to keep their area of influence in this region extremely rich in gold, tin and other coveted minerals”decrypts Jason Stearns, researcher and founder of the Congo Research Group at New York University.
What do we know about the M23 rebels?
Jason Stearns Their group comes from a historic rebellion, the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD), a movement involved in the second great war of Congo (1998-2003) and supported by Rwanda. Following the 2003 peace accords, the RCD – which controlled a third of the country – fielded a candidate for the 2006 presidential election but only won 1.7 % voices. Faced with this bitter failure and its loss of influence, a fringe of the movement created a new rebellion, from which the M23 emerged. This radicalized faction was structured around Congolese Tutsi leaders like Laurent Nkunda, Bosco Ntaganda [condamné en 2019 par la Cour pénale internationale (CPI) à trente ans de prison pour « crimes de guerre et crimes contre l’humanité »] and Sultani Makenga.
In 2012, the M23 succeeded in seizing Goma, the capital of North Kivu, but was defeated a year later by the Congolese army and UN forces. American pressure on the Rwandan regime was also decisive because Kigali then withdrew its support for the rebellion. Rebel commanders took refuge in military camps in Rwanda and Uganda. Their fate has still not been decided and, today, it is one of the demands of the M23: to be integrated into the Congolese army.
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