Back M23-beweging Afrikaans حركة 23 مارس (جمهورية الكونغو الديمقراطية) Arabic Рух 23 сакавіка Byelorussian Luskad an 23 a viz Meurzh Breton Moviment 23 de març Catalan Hnutí M23 Czech M23 (oprørsgruppe) Danish Bewegung 23. März German Movimiento 23 de Marzo Spanish Martxoak 23 Mugimendua Basque

March 23 Movement

For the 2022–25 offensive, see M23 offensive (2022–present).

March 23 Movement
Mouvement du 23 Mars
LeaderBertrand Bisimwa (president)[1]
Sultani Makenga (military chief)[2]
Jean-Marie Runiga Lugerero (former president)[3]
SpokesmanWilly Ngoma[4]
Dates of operation6 May 2012 (2012-05-06) – present[5]
Active regionsDemocratic Republic of the Congo, primarily North Kivu
IdeologyPro-Tutsi
Pro-Rwanda
StatusActive[6]
Allies Rwanda
Opponents Democratic Republic of the Congo
Wagner Group (allegedly)[7]
Wazalendo
Battles and wars
Flag
Alternative logo

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),[8] is a Congolese Rwandan-backed rebel paramilitary group. Based in the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it operates mainly in the province of North Kivu, which borders both Uganda and Rwanda.[9][10][11][12] M23 is a member of the Congo River Alliance, a coalition of rebel groups in eastern DRC.[13][14][15]

M23 was established in 2012 by former members of the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), a Rwandan-backed rebel group largely composed of Rwandan-Congolese fighters.[16][17] These combatants had previously integrated into the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) under the terms of a 2009 peace agreement, which also called for the transformation of the CNDP into a political party, reintegration of refugees, and incorporation of CNDP personnel into government roles.[16][18] However, local opposition to the CNDP's leadership—accused of past human rights violations—impeded the full implementation of the agreement.[19] On 6 May 2012, a group of these ex-CNDP fighters mutinied, forming M23 and citing the government's failure to uphold the peace accord.[18] The group launched strikes during its first rebellion against the Congolese government that led to the displacement of large numbers of people. On 20 November 2012, M23 took control of Goma, the capital of North Kivu with a population of a million people, but was persuaded to withdraw from the city by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) because the Congolese government had finally agreed to negotiate with the rebel group. In late 2012, Congolese troops, along with UN peacekeeping troops, retook Goma, and the M23 announced a ceasefire and said that it wanted to resume peace talks.[20]

A United Nations report found that Rwanda created and commanded the M23 rebel group during the 2012 operations (in 2024, when M23 resurfaced again, another UN report finds direct support from the Rwandan military).[21][22] Rwanda ceased its support due to international pressure and the military defeat by the Congolese military and the UN peacekeeping forces in 2013.[23]

In 2017, M23 remnants resumed their insurgency in the Congo, although it was largely a low-level insurgency.[24] However, the M23 reorganized in 2022 and launched a subsequent offensive, which eventually resulted in the capture of the Congolese border town of Bunagana by the rebels.[25][26] 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.[27] In June 2023, Human Rights Watch reported human rights abuses by M23 rebels in the Congo, including unlawful killings, rape 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.[10] As of January 2025, the group occupies various major towns in eastern North Kivu including Bunagana, Kiwanja,[28] Kitchanga,[29] Rubaya,[30] Rutshuru,[28] and the city of Goma.[31]

  1. ^ "Bertrand Bisimwa, the man leading M23". dailymaverick. 16 April 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  2. ^ "DR Congo: M23's Makenga and Runiga factions 'clash'". BBC News. 25 February 2013. Archived from the original on 19 March 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference aljazeera1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/16/dr-congos-m23-rebels-enter-centre-of-strategic-city-bukavu-report
  5. ^ "M23 rebels in DR Congo deny shooting down UN helicopter". BBC. 30 March 2022.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Wagner Group expands influence in DRC, Africa – Robert Lansing Institute". lansinginstitute.org. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  8. ^ "DR Congo: Bunagana residents flee M23 clashes to Uganda". bbcnews.com. 1 March 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  9. ^ "Letter dated 31 May 2024 from the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo addressed to the President of the Security Council". United Nations Security Council. New York, New York, United States. 31 May 2024. pp. 11–14. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  10. ^ a b "DR Congo: Killings, Rapes by Rwanda-Backed M23 Rebels". Human Rights Watch. 13 June 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  11. ^ "RD Congo: Les forces rwandaises et les rebelles du M23 ont bombardé des zones civiles" [DR Congo: Rwandan forces and M23 rebels bombed civilian areas]. Human Rights Watch (in French). 26 September 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  12. ^ Chapleau, Philippe (12 July 2024). "Un rapport d'experts de l'Onu épingle la prédation rwandaise dans l'est de la RDC" [UN expert report highlights Rwandan predation in eastern DRC]. Lignesdedefense.ouest-france.fr (in French). Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  13. ^ Ghanem, Noureldein (December 2023). "Exiled DRC opposition figure announces alliance with M23 rebels". TRT World. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  14. ^ "DR Congo opposition figure announces alliance with rebels". The EastAfrican. Nairobi, Kenya. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  15. ^ "DR Congo opposition figure announces alliance with rebels". The Citizen. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  16. ^ a b Stearns, Jason (2012). "From CNDP to M23: The evolution of an armed movement in eastern Congo" (PDF). Rift Valley Institute. Nairobi, Kenya. pp. 39–41. ISBN 978-1-907431-05-0. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  17. ^ "Final report of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo" (PDF). Securitycouncilreport.org. United Nations Security Council. 12 December 2008. pp. 15–18. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  18. ^ a b "Rapport synthese des violations des droits de l'homme commises par le Mouvement dit M23 dans la province du Nord-Kivu: Vers la sacralisation des crimes et de l'impunite en R.D. Congo" [Summary report of human rights violations committed by the M23 Movement in the province of North Kivu: Towards the sacralization of crimes and impunity in the DRC] (PDF). Iccwomen.org (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Réseau National des ONG des Droits de l'Homme de la République Démocratique du Congo (RENADHOC). 4 December 2012. p. 9. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  19. ^ "Rapport synthese des violations des droits de l'homme commises par le Mouvement dit M23 dans la province du Nord-Kivu: Vers la sacralisation des crimes et de l'impunite en R.D. Congo" [Summary report of human rights violations committed by the M23 Movement in the province of North Kivu: Towards the sacralization of crimes and impunity in the DRC] (PDF). Iccwomen.org (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Réseau National des ONG des Droits de l'Homme de la République Démocratique du Congo (RENADHOC). 4 December 2012. pp. 9–10. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  20. ^ "Goma: M23 rebels capture DR Congo city". BBC News. 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  21. ^ "Paul Kagame, War Criminal?". Newsweek. 14 January 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  22. ^ United Nations Security Council. Report of the Secretary-General on the Situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. S/2024/432. United Nations, 4 June 2024. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
  23. ^ "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
  24. ^ ICG 2022, p. 10.
  25. ^ "Thousands displaced as M23 rebels near key DRC city of Goma". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  26. ^ Sabiti, Djaffar; Bujakera, Stanis (13 June 2022). "Congo rebels seize eastern border town, army blames Rwanda". Reuters. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  27. ^ "Thousands displaced as M23 rebels near key DRC city of Goma". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  28. ^ a b Kabumba, Justin; Larson, Krista (29 October 2022). "Rebels makes new advance, and Congo expels Rwandan envoy". ABC News. Archived from the original on 16 March 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  29. ^ "M23 rebels take control of eastern DR Congo town". Al Jazeera. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  30. ^ Mulegwa, Pascal (27 February 2023). "Congolese M23 rebels seize major mining town of Rubaya". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  31. ^ "Fresh Clashes as M23 Rebels Make Gains in East DR Congo". Voice of America. 26 January 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.

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