Artillery Fire By Rwanda Backed M23 Militia Raises Tension At Home Of Endangered Congolese Gorillas

A world-renowned park in eastern Congo, one of the last remaining homes of the endangered mountain gorilla, is now facing a new threat: deadly attacks by a Rwandan-backed militia group that have wreaked havoc across the region. An artillery attack on Tuesday, reportedly from positions held by the M23 militia, killed and wounded an unknown number of civilians in Virunga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to a huge population of wildlife and two of Africa’s most active volcanoes . The attack also damaged a hydroelectric plant and forced the evacuation of staff at a nearby park. Virunga is at the heart of an expanding war zone in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where M23 has killed dozens of people and driven tens of thousands from their homes, triggering an exodus and worsening instability in a region of central Africa that is already one of the most unstable parts of the world. There is growing evidence, including from United Nations experts, that Rwanda is supporting the M23 insurgency by sending troops and heavy weaponry across the border into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A leaked report by UN experts contains seven pages of detailed documentation of Rwandan military support for M23 activities, including evidence from aerial photos, videos, drone footage, seized equipment, arrested militants and dozens of witness interviews. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, on a visit to the DRC and Rwanda last week, said the United States was “very concerned about credible reports that Rwanda has provided support to M23”. Analysts say Rwanda’s military intervention in eastern DRC threatens to prolong the instability of one of Africa’s largest and most strategically important countries, a source of vast mineral wealth and the site of frequent wars that have killed millions since the 1990s. Rwanda’s support for the M23 rebellion has angered the Congolese government. “Our country is the victim of a cowardly and barbaric attack by its neighbor Rwanda,” DRC President Felix Tshisekendi told a summit of South African leaders on Wednesday. Human Rights Watch, in a report last month, said M23 fighters had deliberately killed at least 30 civilians in areas under their control since mid-June. In one massacre alone, on June 21 in the village of Ruvumu, M23 fighters shot and killed at least 20 civilians after they were accused of tipping off the Congolese army about militia positions, the report said. He also described “indiscriminate shelling” by M23 forces that led to further civilian casualties. He said the rebels were using the same “violent tactics” they used a decade ago when they seized Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC. Those tactics in 2012 amounted to war crimes, but their leaders were never prosecuted because Rwanda and Uganda shielded them, Human Rights Watch said. People displaced by fighting on the M23 walk on the road between the Congolese towns of Rutshuru and Bunagana. Further south is Goma, a city captured by the M23 a decade ago. FARDC soldiers detain suspects on the Rutshuru-Bunagana road and fire an anti-aircraft gun on the M23. Congolese forces last defeated M23 in 2013, and analysts say its recent resurgence is part of a Rwandan strategy to destabilize its larger neighbor. M23, also known as the March 23 Movement, emerged from a former armed group in eastern Congo that had signed a peace treaty on March 23, 2009. It later complained that the government had not fulfilled the treaty. After capturing Goma and wreaking havoc in the region, M23 was finally defeated in 2013. When it revived last October, much of its activity was in and around Virunga National Park, which occupies a key area near the Rwandan border. Last November, about 100 heavily armed men – believed to be M23 militants – attacked a patrol post and killed a Virunga park ranger, park officials said. Rangers are struggling to protect the endangered mountain gorilla, of which only about 1,000 remain in the world, with a third of them living in the dense high-altitude forests of Virunga’s volcanic slopes. In their report leaked last month, labeled “confidential briefing”, UN experts said M23 had “significantly expanded the area under its control” with attacks that are increasingly powerful and frequent. The UN report said M23 managed to “sustain intense fighting on several fronts at a time and for several weeks, indicating a higher degree of organization, improved tactics, active recruitment, troop growth and a significant supply of military equipment.” Rwandan military involvement was so blatant that, in one incident documented by UN experts, 14 separate eyewitnesses identified a group of 900 to 1,000 Rwandan soldiers crossing the border into the DRC through at least four entry points on May 24 and occupying positions for a few days. Stephanie Wolters, a Congo expert at the South African Institute of International Affairs, said the resurgence of the M23 was linked to the region’s geopolitics. “Rwanda wants to continue asserting itself as the most important player in the region,” she said in an interview with The Globe and Mail. “The key issues have to do with Rwanda’s disrespect for the Congolese border and its continued desire to have a strong military presence in eastern DRC. Rwanda is again intervening to destabilize eastern DRC and this is a pattern we have seen time and time again.” Last month, a powerful US senator announced he would block all US security aid to Rwanda because of its support for M23. Robert Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Rwanda was fomenting “insurgency and violence” by using a “proxy militia” to kill civilians and UN peacekeepers. But the international community must put stronger pressure on Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Ms Wolters said. “As long as Kagame feels there is no cost to his involvement in eastern Congo, he will continue to do so,” he said. “Do we want to keep Congo in a continuous cycle of instability? It is a country with six million internally displaced people. Every humanitarian crisis takes resources away from any kind of development effort in the Congo and the wider region.” People on the Rutshuru-Bunagana road continue their march to safety.

The Globe in Africa: More from Geoffrey York

Odinga rejects the election result, throwing Kenya into political turmoil Aid operations in Africa have been hit by fuel shortages and rising food prices as a result of the war in Ukraine US launches new Africa strategy to counter Russian and Chinese power Report finds failures in due diligence on African ‘conflict minerals’ used in computers and mobile phones

title: “Artillery Fire By Rwanda Backed M23 Militia Raises Tension At Home Of Endangered Congolese Gorillas Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-18” author: “Kellie Bradley”

A world-renowned park in eastern Congo, one of the last remaining homes of the endangered mountain gorilla, is now facing a new threat: deadly attacks by a Rwandan-backed militia group that have wreaked havoc across the region. An artillery attack on Tuesday, reportedly from positions held by the M23 militia, killed and wounded an unknown number of civilians in Virunga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to a huge population of wildlife and two of Africa’s most active volcanoes . The attack also damaged a hydroelectric plant and forced the evacuation of staff at a nearby park. Virunga is at the heart of an expanding war zone in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where M23 has killed dozens of people and driven tens of thousands from their homes, triggering an exodus and worsening instability in a region of central Africa that is already one of the most unstable parts of the world. There is growing evidence, including from United Nations experts, that Rwanda is supporting the M23 insurgency by sending troops and heavy weaponry across the border into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A leaked report by UN experts contains seven pages of detailed documentation of Rwandan military support for M23 activities, including evidence from aerial photos, videos, drone footage, seized equipment, arrested militants and dozens of witness interviews. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, on a visit to the DRC and Rwanda last week, said the United States was “very concerned about credible reports that Rwanda has provided support to M23”. Analysts say Rwanda’s military intervention in eastern DRC threatens to prolong the instability of one of Africa’s largest and most strategically important countries, a source of vast mineral wealth and the site of frequent wars that have killed millions since the 1990s. Rwanda’s support for the M23 rebellion has angered the Congolese government. “Our country is the victim of a cowardly and barbaric attack by its neighbor Rwanda,” DRC President Felix Tshisekendi told a summit of South African leaders on Wednesday. Human Rights Watch, in a report last month, said M23 fighters had deliberately killed at least 30 civilians in areas under their control since mid-June. In one massacre alone, on June 21 in the village of Ruvumu, M23 fighters shot and killed at least 20 civilians after they were accused of tipping off the Congolese army about militia positions, the report said. He also described “indiscriminate shelling” by M23 forces that led to further civilian casualties. He said the rebels were using the same “violent tactics” they used a decade ago when they seized Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC. Those tactics in 2012 amounted to war crimes, but their leaders were never prosecuted because Rwanda and Uganda shielded them, Human Rights Watch said. People displaced by fighting on the M23 walk on the road between the Congolese towns of Rutshuru and Bunagana. Further south is Goma, a city captured by the M23 a decade ago. FARDC soldiers detain suspects on the Rutshuru-Bunagana road and fire an anti-aircraft gun on the M23. Congolese forces last defeated M23 in 2013, and analysts say its recent resurgence is part of a Rwandan strategy to destabilize its larger neighbor. M23, also known as the March 23 Movement, emerged from a former armed group in eastern Congo that had signed a peace treaty on March 23, 2009. It later complained that the government had not fulfilled the treaty. After capturing Goma and wreaking havoc in the region, M23 was finally defeated in 2013. When it revived last October, much of its activity was in and around Virunga National Park, which occupies a key area near the Rwandan border. Last November, about 100 heavily armed men – believed to be M23 militants – attacked a patrol post and killed a Virunga park ranger, park officials said. Rangers are struggling to protect the endangered mountain gorilla, of which only about 1,000 remain in the world, with a third of them living in the dense high-altitude forests of Virunga’s volcanic slopes. In their report leaked last month, labeled “confidential briefing”, UN experts said M23 had “significantly expanded the area under its control” with attacks that are increasingly powerful and frequent. The UN report said M23 managed to “sustain intense fighting on several fronts at a time and for several weeks, indicating a higher degree of organization, improved tactics, active recruitment, troop growth and a significant supply of military equipment.” Rwandan military involvement was so blatant that, in one incident documented by UN experts, 14 separate eyewitnesses identified a group of 900 to 1,000 Rwandan soldiers crossing the border into the DRC through at least four entry points on May 24 and occupying positions for a few days. Stephanie Wolters, a Congo expert at the South African Institute of International Affairs, said the resurgence of the M23 was linked to the region’s geopolitics. “Rwanda wants to continue asserting itself as the most important player in the region,” she said in an interview with The Globe and Mail. “The key issues have to do with Rwanda’s disrespect for the Congolese border and its continued desire to have a strong military presence in eastern DRC. Rwanda is again intervening to destabilize eastern DRC and this is a pattern we have seen time and time again.” Last month, a powerful US senator announced he would block all US security aid to Rwanda because of its support for M23. Robert Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Rwanda was fomenting “insurgency and violence” by using a “proxy militia” to kill civilians and UN peacekeepers. But the international community must put stronger pressure on Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Ms Wolters said. “As long as Kagame feels there is no cost to his involvement in eastern Congo, he will continue to do so,” he said. “Do we want to keep Congo in a continuous cycle of instability? It is a country with six million internally displaced people. Every humanitarian crisis takes resources away from any kind of development effort in the Congo and the wider region.” People on the Rutshuru-Bunagana road continue their march to safety.

The Globe in Africa: More from Geoffrey York

Odinga rejects the election result, throwing Kenya into political turmoil Aid operations in Africa have been hit by fuel shortages and rising food prices as a result of the war in Ukraine US launches new Africa strategy to counter Russian and Chinese power Report finds failures in due diligence on African ‘conflict minerals’ used in computers and mobile phones

title: “Artillery Fire By Rwanda Backed M23 Militia Raises Tension At Home Of Endangered Congolese Gorillas Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-23” author: “Albert Gage”

A world-renowned park in eastern Congo, one of the last remaining homes of the endangered mountain gorilla, is now facing a new threat: deadly attacks by a Rwandan-backed militia group that have wreaked havoc across the region. An artillery attack on Tuesday, reportedly from positions held by the M23 militia, killed and wounded an unknown number of civilians in Virunga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to a huge population of wildlife and two of Africa’s most active volcanoes . The attack also damaged a hydroelectric plant and forced the evacuation of staff at a nearby park. Virunga is at the heart of an expanding war zone in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where M23 has killed dozens of people and driven tens of thousands from their homes, triggering an exodus and worsening instability in a region of central Africa that is already one of the most unstable parts of the world. There is growing evidence, including from United Nations experts, that Rwanda is supporting the M23 insurgency by sending troops and heavy weaponry across the border into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A leaked report by UN experts contains seven pages of detailed documentation of Rwandan military support for M23 activities, including evidence from aerial photos, videos, drone footage, seized equipment, arrested militants and dozens of witness interviews. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, on a visit to the DRC and Rwanda last week, said the United States was “very concerned about credible reports that Rwanda has provided support to M23”. Analysts say Rwanda’s military intervention in eastern DRC threatens to prolong the instability of one of Africa’s largest and most strategically important countries, a source of vast mineral wealth and the site of frequent wars that have killed millions since the 1990s. Rwanda’s support for the M23 rebellion has angered the Congolese government. “Our country is the victim of a cowardly and barbaric attack by its neighbor Rwanda,” DRC President Felix Tshisekendi told a summit of South African leaders on Wednesday. Human Rights Watch, in a report last month, said M23 fighters had deliberately killed at least 30 civilians in areas under their control since mid-June. In one massacre alone, on June 21 in the village of Ruvumu, M23 fighters shot and killed at least 20 civilians after they were accused of tipping off the Congolese army about militia positions, the report said. He also described “indiscriminate shelling” by M23 forces that led to further civilian casualties. He said the rebels were using the same “violent tactics” they used a decade ago when they seized Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC. Those tactics in 2012 amounted to war crimes, but their leaders were never prosecuted because Rwanda and Uganda shielded them, Human Rights Watch said. People displaced by fighting on the M23 walk on the road between the Congolese towns of Rutshuru and Bunagana. Further south is Goma, a city captured by the M23 a decade ago. FARDC soldiers detain suspects on the Rutshuru-Bunagana road and fire an anti-aircraft gun on the M23. Congolese forces last defeated M23 in 2013, and analysts say its recent resurgence is part of a Rwandan strategy to destabilize its larger neighbor. M23, also known as the March 23 Movement, emerged from a former armed group in eastern Congo that had signed a peace treaty on March 23, 2009. It later complained that the government had not fulfilled the treaty. After capturing Goma and wreaking havoc in the region, M23 was finally defeated in 2013. When it revived last October, much of its activity was in and around Virunga National Park, which occupies a key area near the Rwandan border. Last November, about 100 heavily armed men – believed to be M23 militants – attacked a patrol post and killed a Virunga park ranger, park officials said. Rangers are struggling to protect the endangered mountain gorilla, of which only about 1,000 remain in the world, with a third of them living in the dense high-altitude forests of Virunga’s volcanic slopes. In their report leaked last month, labeled “confidential briefing”, UN experts said M23 had “significantly expanded the area under its control” with attacks that are increasingly powerful and frequent. The UN report said M23 managed to “sustain intense fighting on several fronts at a time and for several weeks, indicating a higher degree of organization, improved tactics, active recruitment, troop growth and a significant supply of military equipment.” Rwandan military involvement was so blatant that, in one incident documented by UN experts, 14 separate eyewitnesses identified a group of 900 to 1,000 Rwandan soldiers crossing the border into the DRC through at least four entry points on May 24 and occupying positions for a few days. Stephanie Wolters, a Congo expert at the South African Institute of International Affairs, said the resurgence of the M23 was linked to the region’s geopolitics. “Rwanda wants to continue asserting itself as the most important player in the region,” she said in an interview with The Globe and Mail. “The key issues have to do with Rwanda’s disrespect for the Congolese border and its continued desire to have a strong military presence in eastern DRC. Rwanda is again intervening to destabilize eastern DRC and this is a pattern we have seen time and time again.” Last month, a powerful US senator announced he would block all US security aid to Rwanda because of its support for M23. Robert Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Rwanda was fomenting “insurgency and violence” by using a “proxy militia” to kill civilians and UN peacekeepers. But the international community must put stronger pressure on Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Ms Wolters said. “As long as Kagame feels there is no cost to his involvement in eastern Congo, he will continue to do so,” he said. “Do we want to keep Congo in a continuous cycle of instability? It is a country with six million internally displaced people. Every humanitarian crisis takes resources away from any kind of development effort in the Congo and the wider region.” People on the Rutshuru-Bunagana road continue their march to safety.

The Globe in Africa: More from Geoffrey York

Odinga rejects the election result, throwing Kenya into political turmoil Aid operations in Africa have been hit by fuel shortages and rising food prices as a result of the war in Ukraine US launches new Africa strategy to counter Russian and Chinese power Report finds failures in due diligence on African ‘conflict minerals’ used in computers and mobile phones

title: “Artillery Fire By Rwanda Backed M23 Militia Raises Tension At Home Of Endangered Congolese Gorillas Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-19” author: “Cory Rashid”

A world-renowned park in eastern Congo, one of the last remaining homes of the endangered mountain gorilla, is now facing a new threat: deadly attacks by a Rwandan-backed militia group that have wreaked havoc across the region. An artillery attack on Tuesday, reportedly from positions held by the M23 militia, killed and wounded an unknown number of civilians in Virunga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to a huge population of wildlife and two of Africa’s most active volcanoes . The attack also damaged a hydroelectric plant and forced the evacuation of staff at a nearby park. Virunga is at the heart of an expanding war zone in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where M23 has killed dozens of people and driven tens of thousands from their homes, triggering an exodus and worsening instability in a region of central Africa that is already one of the most unstable parts of the world. There is growing evidence, including from United Nations experts, that Rwanda is supporting the M23 insurgency by sending troops and heavy weaponry across the border into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A leaked report by UN experts contains seven pages of detailed documentation of Rwandan military support for M23 activities, including evidence from aerial photos, videos, drone footage, seized equipment, arrested militants and dozens of witness interviews. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, on a visit to the DRC and Rwanda last week, said the United States was “very concerned about credible reports that Rwanda has provided support to M23”. Analysts say Rwanda’s military intervention in eastern DRC threatens to prolong the instability of one of Africa’s largest and most strategically important countries, a source of vast mineral wealth and the site of frequent wars that have killed millions since the 1990s. Rwanda’s support for the M23 rebellion has angered the Congolese government. “Our country is the victim of a cowardly and barbaric attack by its neighbor Rwanda,” DRC President Felix Tshisekendi told a summit of South African leaders on Wednesday. Human Rights Watch, in a report last month, said M23 fighters had deliberately killed at least 30 civilians in areas under their control since mid-June. In one massacre alone, on June 21 in the village of Ruvumu, M23 fighters shot and killed at least 20 civilians after they were accused of tipping off the Congolese army about militia positions, the report said. He also described “indiscriminate shelling” by M23 forces that led to further civilian casualties. He said the rebels were using the same “violent tactics” they used a decade ago when they seized Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC. Those tactics in 2012 amounted to war crimes, but their leaders were never prosecuted because Rwanda and Uganda shielded them, Human Rights Watch said. People displaced by fighting on the M23 walk on the road between the Congolese towns of Rutshuru and Bunagana. Further south is Goma, a city captured by the M23 a decade ago. FARDC soldiers detain suspects on the Rutshuru-Bunagana road and fire an anti-aircraft gun on the M23. Congolese forces last defeated M23 in 2013, and analysts say its recent resurgence is part of a Rwandan strategy to destabilize its larger neighbor. M23, also known as the March 23 Movement, emerged from a former armed group in eastern Congo that had signed a peace treaty on March 23, 2009. It later complained that the government had not fulfilled the treaty. After capturing Goma and wreaking havoc in the region, M23 was finally defeated in 2013. When it revived last October, much of its activity was in and around Virunga National Park, which occupies a key area near the Rwandan border. Last November, about 100 heavily armed men – believed to be M23 militants – attacked a patrol post and killed a Virunga park ranger, park officials said. Rangers are struggling to protect the endangered mountain gorilla, of which only about 1,000 remain in the world, with a third of them living in the dense high-altitude forests of Virunga’s volcanic slopes. In their report leaked last month, labeled “confidential briefing”, UN experts said M23 had “significantly expanded the area under its control” with attacks that are increasingly powerful and frequent. The UN report said M23 managed to “sustain intense fighting on several fronts at a time and for several weeks, indicating a higher degree of organization, improved tactics, active recruitment, troop growth and a significant supply of military equipment.” Rwandan military involvement was so blatant that, in one incident documented by UN experts, 14 separate eyewitnesses identified a group of 900 to 1,000 Rwandan soldiers crossing the border into the DRC through at least four entry points on May 24 and occupying positions for a few days. Stephanie Wolters, a Congo expert at the South African Institute of International Affairs, said the resurgence of the M23 was linked to the region’s geopolitics. “Rwanda wants to continue asserting itself as the most important player in the region,” she said in an interview with The Globe and Mail. “The key issues have to do with Rwanda’s disrespect for the Congolese border and its continued desire to have a strong military presence in eastern DRC. Rwanda is again intervening to destabilize eastern DRC and this is a pattern we have seen time and time again.” Last month, a powerful US senator announced he would block all US security aid to Rwanda because of its support for M23. Robert Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Rwanda was fomenting “insurgency and violence” by using a “proxy militia” to kill civilians and UN peacekeepers. But the international community must put stronger pressure on Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Ms Wolters said. “As long as Kagame feels there is no cost to his involvement in eastern Congo, he will continue to do so,” he said. “Do we want to keep Congo in a continuous cycle of instability? It is a country with six million internally displaced people. Every humanitarian crisis takes resources away from any kind of development effort in the Congo and the wider region.” People on the Rutshuru-Bunagana road continue their march to safety.

The Globe in Africa: More from Geoffrey York

Odinga rejects the election result, throwing Kenya into political turmoil Aid operations in Africa have been hit by fuel shortages and rising food prices as a result of the war in Ukraine US launches new Africa strategy to counter Russian and Chinese power Report finds failures in due diligence on African ‘conflict minerals’ used in computers and mobile phones

title: “Artillery Fire By Rwanda Backed M23 Militia Raises Tension At Home Of Endangered Congolese Gorillas Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-19” author: “Gloria Deluca”

A world-renowned park in eastern Congo, one of the last remaining homes of the endangered mountain gorilla, is now facing a new threat: deadly attacks by a Rwandan-backed militia group that have wreaked havoc across the region. An artillery attack on Tuesday, reportedly from positions held by the M23 militia, killed and wounded an unknown number of civilians in Virunga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to a huge population of wildlife and two of Africa’s most active volcanoes . The attack also damaged a hydroelectric plant and forced the evacuation of staff at a nearby park. Virunga is at the heart of an expanding war zone in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where M23 has killed dozens of people and driven tens of thousands from their homes, triggering an exodus and worsening instability in a region of central Africa that is already one of the most unstable parts of the world. There is growing evidence, including from United Nations experts, that Rwanda is supporting the M23 insurgency by sending troops and heavy weaponry across the border into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A leaked report by UN experts contains seven pages of detailed documentation of Rwandan military support for M23 activities, including evidence from aerial photos, videos, drone footage, seized equipment, arrested militants and dozens of witness interviews. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, on a visit to the DRC and Rwanda last week, said the United States was “very concerned about credible reports that Rwanda has provided support to M23”. Analysts say Rwanda’s military intervention in eastern DRC threatens to prolong the instability of one of Africa’s largest and most strategically important countries, a source of vast mineral wealth and the site of frequent wars that have killed millions since the 1990s. Rwanda’s support for the M23 rebellion has angered the Congolese government. “Our country is the victim of a cowardly and barbaric attack by its neighbor Rwanda,” DRC President Felix Tshisekendi told a summit of South African leaders on Wednesday. Human Rights Watch, in a report last month, said M23 fighters had deliberately killed at least 30 civilians in areas under their control since mid-June. In one massacre alone, on June 21 in the village of Ruvumu, M23 fighters shot and killed at least 20 civilians after they were accused of tipping off the Congolese army about militia positions, the report said. He also described “indiscriminate shelling” by M23 forces that led to further civilian casualties. He said the rebels were using the same “violent tactics” they used a decade ago when they seized Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC. Those tactics in 2012 amounted to war crimes, but their leaders were never prosecuted because Rwanda and Uganda shielded them, Human Rights Watch said. People displaced by fighting on the M23 walk on the road between the Congolese towns of Rutshuru and Bunagana. Further south is Goma, a city captured by the M23 a decade ago. FARDC soldiers detain suspects on the Rutshuru-Bunagana road and fire an anti-aircraft gun on the M23. Congolese forces last defeated M23 in 2013, and analysts say its recent resurgence is part of a Rwandan strategy to destabilize its larger neighbor. M23, also known as the March 23 Movement, emerged from a former armed group in eastern Congo that had signed a peace treaty on March 23, 2009. It later complained that the government had not fulfilled the treaty. After capturing Goma and wreaking havoc in the region, M23 was finally defeated in 2013. When it revived last October, much of its activity was in and around Virunga National Park, which occupies a key area near the Rwandan border. Last November, about 100 heavily armed men – believed to be M23 militants – attacked a patrol post and killed a Virunga park ranger, park officials said. Rangers are struggling to protect the endangered mountain gorilla, of which only about 1,000 remain in the world, with a third of them living in the dense high-altitude forests of Virunga’s volcanic slopes. In their report leaked last month, labeled “confidential briefing”, UN experts said M23 had “significantly expanded the area under its control” with attacks that are increasingly powerful and frequent. The UN report said M23 managed to “sustain intense fighting on several fronts at a time and for several weeks, indicating a higher degree of organization, improved tactics, active recruitment, troop growth and a significant supply of military equipment.” Rwandan military involvement was so blatant that, in one incident documented by UN experts, 14 separate eyewitnesses identified a group of 900 to 1,000 Rwandan soldiers crossing the border into the DRC through at least four entry points on May 24 and occupying positions for a few days. Stephanie Wolters, a Congo expert at the South African Institute of International Affairs, said the resurgence of the M23 was linked to the region’s geopolitics. “Rwanda wants to continue asserting itself as the most important player in the region,” she said in an interview with The Globe and Mail. “The key issues have to do with Rwanda’s disrespect for the Congolese border and its continued desire to have a strong military presence in eastern DRC. Rwanda is again intervening to destabilize eastern DRC and this is a pattern we have seen time and time again.” Last month, a powerful US senator announced he would block all US security aid to Rwanda because of its support for M23. Robert Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Rwanda was fomenting “insurgency and violence” by using a “proxy militia” to kill civilians and UN peacekeepers. But the international community must put stronger pressure on Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Ms Wolters said. “As long as Kagame feels there is no cost to his involvement in eastern Congo, he will continue to do so,” he said. “Do we want to keep Congo in a continuous cycle of instability? It is a country with six million internally displaced people. Every humanitarian crisis takes resources away from any kind of development effort in the Congo and the wider region.” People on the Rutshuru-Bunagana road continue their march to safety.

The Globe in Africa: More from Geoffrey York

Odinga rejects the election result, throwing Kenya into political turmoil Aid operations in Africa have been hit by fuel shortages and rising food prices as a result of the war in Ukraine US launches new Africa strategy to counter Russian and Chinese power Report finds failures in due diligence on African ‘conflict minerals’ used in computers and mobile phones