What is M23 fighting for?
M23 rebels capture a key border town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions between the Central African neighbours.
Who is funding M23?
Mutineers formed a rebel group called the March 23 Movement (M23), also known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army. It was composed of former members of the rebel CNDP, and allegedly sponsored by the government of the neighbouring states of Rwanda and Uganda.
What is M23 group?
The March 23 Movement (French: Mouvement du 23 mars), often abbreviated as M23 and also known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army (Armée révolutionnaire du Congo), is a rebel military group based in eastern areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), mainly operating in the province of North Kivu.
Is Rwanda part of the Congo?
Rwanda is located in Central/Eastern Africa, and is bordered by the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, and Burundi to the south. It lies a few degrees south of the equator and is landlocked. The capital, Kigali, is located near the centre of Rwanda.
Is Congo still in war?
The war officially ended in July 2003, when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power.
What is behind the M23 rebellion in the Congo?
M23 rebels capture a key border town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions between the Central African neighbours. A Congolese soldier near the front line during fighting with M23 rebels north of Goma in 2013 [File photo: Joseph Kay/AP]
Is Rwanda behind the M23 insurgency in the DRC?
The DRC has blamed Rwanda for reorganizing and arming the latest insurgency. The UN Security Council’s Group of Experts on the DRC has previously implicated Rwanda of backing M23. Originally part of the Congolese military, M23 is dominated by Congolese Tutsis.
Who are Congo’s M23?
Originally part of the Congolese military, M23 is dominated by Congolese Tutsis. It claims it wants to protect Tutsis against militant Hutu groups, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which counts among its forces elements accused of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
Who are the M23 rebels and the FARDC?
Fighting between M23 rebels and Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC) soldiers intensified on Sunday 12 June and throughout the night. The rebels, who resumed fighting in May, emerged victorious. They briefly captured the same border post in 2013.