Also known as: Rwanda-backed M23 rebels · M23 anti-governmental group · Rwanda-backed M23 militia · AFC/M23 · M23 rebellion
M23 — Rwanda-backed rebel group operating in eastern DRC, controlling territory in South Kivu and conducting military operations amid ongoing regional conflict.
… If peace is the genuine objective, mediators must abandon this obsession with interstate tensions and pivot decisively toward the inter-Congolese conflict that fuels them.The dominant narrative is seductively simple: Rwanda is allegedly backing the M23 rebellion to pressure Kinsh …
Audio By VocalizeAn Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has spread to South Kivu province, an area partly controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 militia, raising fresh fears over the growing spread of the deadly virus. …
… The Rwanda-backed M23 militia has set up a parallel administration in the swathes of territory it has seized from the Congolese government in the east, already the scene between 2018 and 2020 of the central African country's deadliest Ebola epidemic to date. …
… Congolese forces, long outmatched on the ground, have acquired Turkish and Chinese attack drones to strike M23 positions in the east.But the M23 anti-governmental group is also using drones. …
Audio By VocalizeDemocratic Republic of Congo ex-president Joseph Kabila condemned on Friday a US decision to sanction him for allegedly aiding Rwanda-backed M23 rebels who have seized swathes of the east of his country. …
… Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Democratic Republic of Congo's former President Joseph Kabila walks to attend a meeting with religious leaders to help find a "solution" to the crisis in the country's eastern regions, where Rwanda-backed M23 …
An opinion piece argues that mediators have wrongly framed the DRC crisis as an interstate dispute between the DRC and Rwanda, when the real driver of regional instability is the inter-Congolese conflict itself. The author contends that unrest within Congo provokes interstate tensions rather than the reverse, and that Rwanda and the DRC were previously cooperating on economic matters including gold processing.
An opinion piece argues that mediators have wrongly framed the DRC crisis as an interstate dispute between the DRC and Rwanda, when the real driver of regional instability is the inter-Congolese conflict itself. The author contends that unrest within Congo provokes interstate tensions rather than the reverse, and that Rwanda and the DRC were previously cooperating on economic matters including gold processing.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has banned mass gatherings in Kinshasa and three other provinces to halt the spread of Ebola, which has been detected in three eastern provinces roughly 1,800 km away. Opposition figures have criticized the order, alleging it is a political move to block a protest march scheduled for 8 July, though the government has not responded.
A UN independent commission on human rights documented allegations of unlawful killings, sexual violence including sexual slavery, forced recruitment, and attacks on schools and health facilities in North and South Kivu provinces, amid a surge of unrest in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where the army battles the Rwandan-backed M23 group.
Kenya's Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing'oei has called on the Democratic Republic of Congo national football team to use their historic FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification as a unifying force for peace in the Eastern DRC, following the team's dramatic 3-1 comeback victory over Uzbekistan.
An opinion piece argues that Kinshasa is pursuing a military solution to the ongoing DRC conflict while the international community calls for dialogue, noting that while rebels have released prisoners and withdrawn from areas, Kinshasa has not fulfilled its corresponding commitments and continues military escalations around Rubaya and Minembwe highlands.
The Democratic Republic of Congo filed a case at the International Court of Justice accusing Rwanda of breaching international conventions on genocide, discrimination, and torture, alleging crimes including massacres, extrajudicial killings, torture, sexual violence, and forced displacement spanning over three decades. Congo is seeking an ICJ order for Rwanda to cease violations and award reparations.
The Democratic Republic of Congo filed a case at the International Court of Justice on Friday accusing Rwanda of atrocities, genocide, and widespread human rights violations in eastern DRC since 1996, including massacres, extrajudicial executions, torture, and sexual violence. Kinshasa also accuses Rwanda of backing the M23 rebel group, which Rwanda denies.
President Felix Tshisekedi is preparing to pass a law that could allow a third term by amending the constitution, with a bill for a referendum on constitutional reform already adopted by parliament. Tshisekedi's current second term ends in December 2028, and he says he will accept a third term if the people want it and it is approved through a referendum.
The Democratic Republic of Congo's Senate passed a bill on holding referendums, potentially allowing President Felix Tshisekedi to change the constitution and seek a third term. Tshisekedi, in office since 2019 and due to end his second term in 2028, said last month he would agree to a third term "if the people wish it" after a referendum on constitutional reform.
Two opposition figures were injured on Friday at a rally against government plans to change the constitution in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which was broken up by police after clashes with pro-government supporters. President Felix Tshisekedi, in power since 2019, has indicated he would accept a third term "if the people wish it" following a referendum on constitutional reform.
The United States has imposed sanctions on M23 intelligence chief John Nzenze and FDLR commander Gustave Kubwayo over alleged human rights abuses, including sexual violence and attacks on civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The US said the measures target individuals linked to instability in the region.
UN health chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited Bunia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday to discuss the severe Ebola outbreak with the community. The outbreak has spread to three eastern DRC provinces and neighbouring Uganda, with at least 1,077 suspected cases in the DRC since May 15.
The World Health Organization head arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday to address a deadly Ebola outbreak declared on May 15, which has recorded at least 1,077 suspected cases and 246 deaths, though authorities warn the true scale may be wider. A patient recovery was confirmed, marking the first since the crisis began.
The Democratic Republic of Congo reported 204 deaths from 867 suspected Ebola cases across three provinces, while Uganda confirmed three new cases and the Africa Centres for Disease Control warned that 10 African countries faced risk of infection.
Uganda confirmed three new Ebola cases on Saturday, bringing its total to five since May 15, while three Red Cross volunteers died in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention warned that ten countries—Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia—are at risk of being affected.
An angry crowd at Rwampara General Hospital in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo set fire to isolation ward tents after family members were prevented from taking away the body of a young man thought to have died from Ebola. Police fired warning shots to disperse the crowd, and a healthcare worker was injured during the unrest.
An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to South Kivu province, an area partly controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 militia, amid ongoing insecurity and conflict in eastern DRC. The WHO has classified the outbreak as an international public health emergency, with authorities confirming 64 infections and six deaths, though nearly 671 probable cases and 160 suspected deaths have been reported.
The Ebola outbreak spreading in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo faces obstacles from long-running regional conflicts, including M23 militia control of territory and inter-ethnic violence between Lendu and Hema groups in Ituri province, where the outbreak's epicentre is located in Mongbwalu.
In eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a drone attack in Mushaki, a farming area about 40 kilometres from Goma under M23 control, wounded at least 25 civilians including a two-year-old girl last week. The region has been plagued by violence for more than 30 years, with fighting intensifying in early 2025 when Rwanda-backed M23 fighters seized key cities including Goma and Bukavu.
DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi said he may seek a third term when his mandate expires in 2028 if the people approve via referendum, contravening the two-term constitutional limit. He also indicated that elections may not be held on schedule due to ongoing conflict in the east.
The United States sanctioned Democratic Republic of Congo ex-president Joseph Kabila on Thursday, accusing him of providing financial and political support to Rwanda-backed M23 rebels driving violence in the region. Kabila condemned the move as politically motivated and based on unsubstantiated accusations, while the DRC government welcomed the sanctions as a step against impunity.
The United States blacklisted former DR Congo president Joseph Kabila on Thursday, accusing him of providing financial and political support to M23 rebels in the country's east. Kabila called the sanctions "profoundly unjustified, politically motivated and based on unsubstantiated accusations," while the Kinshasa government welcomed the move as a step against impunity.
The United States sanctioned former DR Congo President Joseph Kabila on Thursday, citing allegations that he assisted Rwandan-linked rebels who have seized parts of his country. The action follows a peace deal that President Trump announced in December after meeting both countries' leaders.
The United States imposed sanctions on Joseph Kabila, former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, accusing him of providing financial and political support to Rwandan-linked rebels responsible for violence and instability in the region. The action follows a peace deal announced by President Trump in December.
The Democratic Republic of Congo announced it was setting up a paramilitary unit called "the mining guard" to secure mining sites, with $100 million in funding as part of strategic partnerships with the United States and United Arab Emirates.