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In the last month, M23 rebels have seized several key cities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Their first major victory was in late January, when they took the largest city in the east, Goma. They have now further captured the South Kivu provincial capital of Bukavu, and threaten to take the capital Kinshasa, which lays over 1600 miles away. So, who are the M23? And what are their ultimate aims in the DRC?
M23 are a Rwandan-backed armed rebel group that are led by ethnic Tutsi, who claim they exist to protect the Tutsi community in the DRC. But, in order to fully understand who this rebel group are and how they came to power, one must understand the history between the DRC and its regional neighbours.
What is the Regional History?
The DRC has been no stranger to conflict, in fact, this fighting has been ongoing for decades since the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, where a conflict arose between two ethnic groups the Hutus and the Tutsi. It resulted in around 800,000 people being murdered, who were mostly Tutsi, by Hutu extremists.
The genocide ended when a Tutsi-led rebel group, commanded by Paul Kagame, now President of Rwanda, took control of the country. They collectively forced 2 million Hutus into exile, leading them to flee into Zaire, which is now known as the DRC.
The Rwandan government continued to see the Hutus presence over the border as a significant threat. Leading them to stage to two separate invasions of the DRC, claiming that they were going after those responsible for the genocide. The majority of the fighting lasted from 1996 to 2003, yet in the east of the country tensions carried on between Tutsi rebel groups and the Congolese army. That was until 2009 March 23rd, where a peace deal was signed between the two sides.
So How Did M23 Rebels Come About?
One of the terms of agreement in the 2009 peace deal was that the rebel groups were to be integrated into the Congolese army. However in 2012, 300 Tutsi soldiers deserted the Congolese army under the belief that the peace agreement had been broken. These soldiers formed a new rebel group called M23, naming themselves after the date the peace agreement was signed.
After their formation they proceeded to take over Goma, however this only lasted 10 days as they were quickly thrown out by the Congolese army.
In 2022, M23 decided to reignite their crusade and started taking land around the east that surrounded Goma, to isolate the city. Allowing for their recent success in capturing it.
What is the Other Story?
Reports from the United Nations tell an alternative story of motivation from M23 and its foreign backers, Rwanda.
For context, the DRC is a country that is incredibly mineral rich, with it reportedly sitting on half the world’s cobalt reserves. It is also reported that the DRC are only mining a small fraction of the $25 trillion worth of minerals. These prospects create a huge opportunity for its adversaries to gain significant sums of money.
The UN cited that Rwanda has been using the M23 rebels to extract and export minerals, with around 120 tonnes of coltan being sent to them every four weeks. This conveniently coincides with Rwanda’s surge in mineral exports in the last few years.
The UN has further reported that M23 make around $1 million a month from taxing the mines that they have under their control.
Rwanda has refuted all claims that they back M23 rebels and their involvement in the theft of these critical minerals.
When challenged about the reported presence of Rwandan troops in the DRC, a government spokesperson, Yolande Makolo, told the BBC that their troops were merely along the border to avoid the conflict spilling over into their country.
What is the Human Cost?
The incessant fighting means that the people of the DRC have not known a life of peace. There have been more than 6 million people killed since the conflicts in the 1990s, and the same number of people displaced from their home in the last four years alone.
The M23 rebels deny any targeting of civilians, however, reports from the UN have claimed that hospitals and camps for displaced people have been bombed.
There have also been reports of sexual violence being used by both sides in the conflict.
A peaceful end to the conflict seems an impossible prospect, with the Congolese government refusing to enter into talks with the rebel group. The only thing that is certain is the growing humanitarian cost and dire need for assistance. This seems increasingly unlikely with Donald Trump’s administration’s decision to disband USAID.
Edited by Freya Holland
Link for image: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2025/01/31/rwanda-backed-force-vows-to-march-on-capital-in-dr-congo-conflict/
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