March 23 Movement
The March 23 Movement (French: Mouvement du 23-Mars), sometimes abbreviated as M23, 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. The group is currently involved in an armed conflict with the DRC government which has 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 one million people.[1]
Background
On 23 March 2009, the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) signed a peace treaty with the Congolese government,[2] where it became a political party, and the M23 soldiers integrated into the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC). M23 takes it names from the date of these peace accords (March 23).
The army wing of the group is led by General Makenga Sultani, and the chairman of the group is Bishop Jean-Marie RUNIGA LUGERERO a former CNDP member.
Formation
The M23 was formed on 4 April 2012 when nearly 300 soldiers, a majority of them former members of the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), turned against the DRC government, citing poor conditions in the army and the government's unwillingness to implement the 23 March 2009 peace deal. General Bosco Ntaganda, also known as "The Terminator", was accused of leading the group,[3] and President Kabila called for his arrest on 11 April.[4] The government had threatened to redeploy former CNDP soldiers away from North Kivu before the full implementation of the peace agreement, which prompted many of them to defect from the army and create the M23.[5]
The M23 is made up primarily of Tutsis and opposes the Hutu Power militia Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) as well as area Mai-Mai (community militias).[6]
Mutiny
The rebels have been active in the North Kivu province, fighting government forces in the Rutshuru[7] and Masisi territories. On 6 June 2012 a Congolese spokesman reported that 200 M23 soldiers have died in their mutiny and that over 370 soldiers have surrendered to FARDC, including 25 Rwandan citizens.[8] On 8 July 2012, Colonel Sultani Makenga announced that a government offensive to dislodge the group from their hideouts had failed, and that they had in turn captured several towns towards Goma, the provincial capital.[9]
Takeover of Goma
By 18 November 2012, March 23 Movement forces had advanced to the outskirts of Goma[10] and warned the UN peacekeepers (MONUSCO) not to support Government troops. Congolese Government spokesman Lambert Mende accused Rwanda of backing the rebels and stated that the DRC has "not yet declared war, but we are ready to face it. This is our country, our duty."[11]
On 20 November 2012, M23 rebels advanced on the city and were welcomed by a crowded of Goma Citizens as liberators, and the Congolese Army retreated with little fighting and were busy looting.[12][13] M23 forces then paraded through the city.[13] Congolese customs officers abandoned their posts, leaving the border to Rwanda open. United Nations peacekeepers watched the occupation without intervening, stating that their mandate was only to protect civilians.[14]
DR Congo president Joseph Kabila urged Goma's citizens to "resist" the M23 takeover.[15] UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon criticized the M23 for alleged human rights violations during the takeover, including destruction of property, "intimidation of journalists", and the abduction of women and children.[16] Noting that the First Congo War had begun with fighting in the same region, the New York Times described Goma's takeover as "raising serious questions about the stability of Congo as a whole."[14]
References
- ^ "Goma: M23 rebels capture DR Congo city". BBC News. 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 18 November 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "DR Congo government, CNDP rebels 'sign peace deal'". AFP. 23 March 2009. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
- ^ "DR Congo troops shell rebel bases". Al Jazeera English. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
- ^ "Congo's 'Terminator': Kabila calls for Ntaganda arrest". BBC News. 11 April 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
- ^ Malcolm Webb (18 May 2012). "Thousands flee renewed violence in DRC". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
- ^ Melanie Gouby (6 October 2012). "Congo: M23 rebels aim for Uganda border town". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 21 November 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Melanie Gouby (4 April 2012). "Congo-Kinshasa: General Ntaganda and Loyalists Desert Armed Forces". AllAfrica. Archived from the original on 21 November 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Malcolm Webb (6 June 2012). "Clashes in eastern DR Congo claim lives". Al Jazeera English. Archived from the original on 21 November 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Albert Kambale (8 July 2012). "DR Congo rebel chief pledges to withdraw from captured towns". AFP. Archived from the original on 21 November 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "UPDATE 4-Congo rebels advance to outskirts of Goma". Reuters. 18 November 2012. Archived from the original on 21 November 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Josh Kron (19 November 2012). "Congo Rebels Seize Provincial Capital". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 November 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ David Blair (20 November 2012). "Goma falls to Congo's 'M23' rebels without expected bloodbath". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 November 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Pete Jones and David Smith (20 November 2012). "Congo rebels take Goma with little resistance and to little cheer". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 20 November 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Jeffrey Gettleman and Josh Kron (20 November 2012). "Congo Rebels Seize Provincial Capital". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 18 November 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Goma: M23 rebels capture DR Congo city". BBC News. 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 21 November 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Phil Moore (20 November 2012). "DR Congo rebels capture Goma, accused of atrocities". Google News. Agence France-Presse. Archived from the original on 18 November 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)