M23 rebels and fighting in eastern DRC

WHO ARE THEY?

M23, or the March 23 Movement, is among over 100 armed groups engaged in conflict with Congolese forces in the mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It operates in the North Kivu province, particularly in regions adjacent to Rwanda and Uganda, and is estimated to have more than 8,000 fighters, according to the United Nations.

The group's name refers to the date in 2009 when an agreement was signed between the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), a rebel group led by Tutsis, and the Congolese government, aimed at concluding a revolt by the Tutsi community in eastern DRC.

M23 was established in 2012 following a rebellion by former CNDP troops against the Congolese government. They accused the government of not fulfilling the 2009 agreement, which aimed to integrate Tutsi fighters into the national military, safeguard minority groups, and ensure equitable distribution of resources.

The group's stated goal is to protect the interests of the Congolese Tutsi and other minority communities, particularly from Hutu rebel factions that fled to the DRC after participating in the 1994 genocide against Tutsis.

Since a resurgence that began in 2022, the group has launched an offensive in North Kivu against the armed forces of the DRC and the UN mission in the region. M23 seized control of Rubaya, a significant coltan mining town, last year. According to the UN, it generates $800,000 (£644,800) each month in taxes from the production and trade of the mineral.

This month, the rebel group has made additional territorial gains, capturing the towns of Katale, Masisi, Minova, and Sake, and now the city of Goma.

There are about 11,000 peacekeepers in DRC, the majority of them in the country’s east, as part of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or Monusco. The Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, or SAMIDRC, also has troops in the country.

On the week of 19th January 2025, 3 Malawian peace-keeping soldiers and 9 South African peace keeping soldiers were killed by M23 rebels. A total of 13 peacekeepers were killed.

It is suspected that M23 is backed by Rwanda.

The militia has made new territorial gains in a country that has one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.