March 23 Movement
| March 23 Movement Mouvement du 23-Mars (in French) | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Bertrand Bisimwa (president)[1] Sultani Makenga (military chief) Jean-Marie Runiga Lugerero (former president) |
| Dates of operation | May 6, 2012 – present[2] |
| Active regions | Democratic Republic of the Congo, primarily North Kivu |
| Ideology | Pro-Tutsi Pro-Rwanda |
| Status | Active |
| Size | At least 5,500 (c. late 2012)[3][4] |
| Allies | Rwanda |
| Opponents | Democratic Republic of the Congo Wagner Group (allegedly)[5] Wazalendo |
| Battles and wars |
|
The March 23 Movement, often abbreviated as M23 and also known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army (Armée révolutionnaire du Congo), is a Congolese Tutsi-led, Rwandan-backed rebel military group.[6] It is 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.
On 20 November 2012, M23 took control of Goma, a provincial capital with a population of a million people. 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.[7]
M23 rebels killed at least 319 civilians, including 48 women and 19 children, in Template:Date- in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.[8]
References
- ↑ "Bertrand Bisimwa, the man leading M23". dailymaverick. 16 April 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
- ↑ "M23 rebels in DR Congo deny shooting down UN helicopter". BBC. 30 March 2022.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Wagner Group expands influence in DRC, Africa – Robert Lansing Institute". lansinginstitute.org. 2023-01-13. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
- ↑ "Instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo". Global Conflict Tracker. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ↑ "Goma: M23 rebels capture DR Congo city". BBC News. 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
- ↑ "UN accuses M23 of killing 319 civilians in July in eastern DRC". Radio-Canada. 07 August 2025. Retrieved 07 August 2025.
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