After weeks of advancing on the capital city in the North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwandan soldiers and the armed organization M23 finally made their way into the heart of Goma on Sunday night. The advance has exacerbated a humanitarian crisis in the province and runs the risk of starting a wider conflict between Rwanda and the DRC.
M23: What is it?
In the mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congolese soldiers are engaged in combat with over 100 armed factions, including the March 23 Movement, or M23. According to the UN, it has around 8,000 fighters and is active in North Kivu region, which borders Rwanda and Uganda.
It is called for the day in 2009 that the Congolese government and the Tutsi-led rebel organization, the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), signed an agreement to put an end to a Tutsi-led uprising in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Why is M23 engaged in combat with Congolese forces?
Former CNDP soldiers rebelled against the Congolese government in 2012, claiming that the government had not upheld the 2009 agreement by integrating Tutsi fighters into the army, protecting minorities, and allocating resources fairly. This led to the creation of M23.
It claims that its goal is to protect the rights of Congolese Tutsis and other minorities, particularly defending them against Hutu rebel groups that fled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo after participating in the 1994 Tutsi genocide.
The militia gained a lot of territory in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2012, including temporarily taking control of Goma before leaving ten days later following an accord mediated by neighboring countries.
The group launched an onslaught against the DRC’s military and the UN mission in North Kivu in 2022 as part of a revival. Last year, Rubaya, a significant coltan mining town, fell under M23 control. According to the UN, it receives $800,000 (£644,800) every month in taxes from the mineral’s production and trade.
The towns of Katale, Masisi, Minova, Sake, and now the metropolis of Goma have all been taken by the rebel group this month.
What role does Rwanda play in the war in the eastern DRC?
The US, UN, DRC, and other nations accuse neighboring Rwanda of supporting M23, a claim Rwanda disputes. In a study published in 2022, a panel of UN specialists claimed to have “solid evidence” that Rwandan army had been collaborating with M23. According to a report released by UN specialists last July, between 3,000 and 4,000 Rwandan government forces used M23 in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In the eastern DRC, who is assisting Congolese forces?
As part of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or Monusco, there are over 11,000 peacekeepers in the DRC, most of whom are located in the east of the nation. Troops are also stationed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the Southern African Development Community Mission, or SAMIDRC.
The United States and African leaders have already mediated ceasefires.
What effects does the conflict have on humanitarian issues?
The DRC already has one of the greatest humanitarian crises in the world, with over 6 million people displaced, and the fighting in the east has made matters worse.
Over 4.6 million people are internally displaced in the eastern regions of South Kivu and North Kivu. 400,000 people have been displaced by the fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo this year alone.
During the recent conflict, there have been several reports of executions, sexual assaults, and other atrocities.
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