March 23 Movement

For the 2022–24 offensive, see M23 offensive (2022–present).
March 23 Movement
Mouvement du 23-Mars (in French)
LeaderBertrand Bisimwa (president)[1]
Sultani Makenga (military chief)[2]
Jean-Marie Runiga Lugerero (former president)[3]
Dates of operationApril 4, 2012 (2012-04-04) – present[4]
Active regionsDemocratic Republic of the Congo, primarily North Kivu
Notable attacksKivu conflict
M23 rebellion
M23 offensive (2022)
Democratic Republic of the Congo–Rwanda tensions (2022–present)
StatusActive[5]
SizeAt least 5,500 (c. late 2012)[6][7]
AlliesRwanda Rwanda
OpponentsDemocratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo
Wagner Group (allegedly)[8]
Wazalendo

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),[9] is a Congolese rebel military group.[10] Based in eastern areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), it operates mainly in the province of North Kivu, which borders both Uganda and Rwanda. The M23 rebellion of 2012 to 2013 against the DRC government led to the displacement of large numbers of people. On 20 November 2012, M23 took control of Goma, a provincial capital with a population of a million people, but it was requested to evacuate it by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region because the DRC government had finally agreed to negotiate. In late 2012, Congolese troops, along with UN troops, retook control of Goma, and M23 announced a ceasefire and said that it wanted to resume peace talks.[11]

A United Nations report found that Rwanda created and commanded the M23 rebel group.[12] Rwanda ceased its support because of international pressure and the military defeat by the DRC and the UN in 2013.[13]

In 2017, M23 elements resumed their insurgency in the DRC, but the operations of this splinter faction had little local impact.[14] In 2022, a larger portion of M23 started an offensive, which eventually resulted in the capture of the Congolese border town of Bunagana by the rebels.[15][16] In November 2022, M23 rebels got close to the city of Goma and forced about 180,000 people to leave their homes after the Congolese Army had withdrawn from the region near the village of Kibumba.[17] In June 2023, Human Rights Watch reported human rights abuses by M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including unlawful killings, rapes and other war crimes. Allegations implicate Rwandan support for these actions, bringing concerns about war crimes and making the humanitarian situation worse in the region. The United Nations Security Council encouraged sanctions against the M23 leaders and implicated Rwandan officials.[18] As of February 2023, the group occupies various major towns in eastern North Kivu including Bunagana, Kiwanja,[19] Kitchanga,[20] Rubaya,[21] Rutshuru,[19] and controls vital roads leading to Goma.[22]

  1. ^ "Bertrand Bisimwa, the man leading M23". dailymaverick. 16 April 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference BBC1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference aljazeera1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "M23 rebels in DR Congo deny shooting down UN helicopter". BBC. 30 March 2022.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Mike Pflanz (20 November 2012). "DRC Rebels Capture Goma Without Firing a Shot". London: The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 21 November 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  7. ^ "Rebels Vow to Take All of Congo, as Army Troops and Police Defect in Goma". CTV News. Associated Press. 21 November 2012. Archived from the original on 21 November 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  8. ^ "Wagner Group expands influence in DRC, Africa - Robert Lansing Institute". lansinginstitute.org. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference BBC3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ "Instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo". Global Conflict Tracker. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  11. ^ "Goma: M23 rebels capture DR Congo city". BBC News. 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  12. ^ "Paul Kagame, War Criminal?". Newsweek. 14 January 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  13. ^ "Subcommittee Hearing: Developments in Rwanda - Committee on Foreign Affairs". Committee on Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 15 July 2017. http://docs.house.gov/meetings/FA/FA16/20150520/103498/HHRG-114-FA16-Transcript-20150520.pdf p. 74
  14. ^ ICG 2022, p. 10.
  15. ^ "Thousands displaced as M23 rebels near key DRC city of Goma". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  16. ^ Sabiti, Djaffar; Bujakera, Stanis (13 June 2022). "Congo rebels seize eastern border town, army blames Rwanda". Reuters. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  17. ^ "Thousands displaced as M23 rebels near key DRC city of Goma". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  18. ^ "DR Congo: Killings, Rapes by Rwanda-Backed M23 Rebels | Human Rights Watch". 13 June 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  19. ^ a b Kabumba, Justin; Larson, Krista (29 October 2022). "Rebels makes new advance, and Congo expels Rwandan envoy". ABC News. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  20. ^ "M23 rebels take control of eastern DR Congo town". Al Jazeera. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  21. ^ Mulegwa, Pascal (27 February 2023). "Congolese M23 rebels seize major mining town of Rubaya". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  22. ^ "Fresh Clashes as M23 Rebels Make Gains in East DR Congo". Voice of America. 26 January 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.