Also known as: Rwanda-backed M23 rebels · M23 anti-governmental group · Rwanda-backed M23 militia · AFC/M23 · M23 rebellion · M23 armed group · M23 movement · Rwanda-backed M23 armed group
Armed group engaged in conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, accused by UN experts of sexual violence and civilian terror.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
The Standard
… Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, has been controlled since February 2025 by the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group after stepping up its campaign to seize swathes of mineral-rich eastern DRC. …
DR Congo school fire leaves at least 14 children deadThe Standard
… The proposed constitutional change comes as much of the country is riven by conflict, particularly to the east, where the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group seized swathes of territory last year.Sesanga has called for the M23 to also take part in a national dialogue to support "peace …
DRC's Tshisekedi told to 'give up' constitution changesCitizen Digital
… The group welcomed the prisoner exchange agreement between the DRC and AFC/M23, describing it as an important confidence-building measure. …
DRC urged to act on FDLR disarmament protocolThe Standard
… The peace deal contained commitments on the protection of Congolese Tutsi communities, citizenship and identity rights, the return of refugees, and the integration of former combatants.Whether one accepts the AFC/M23's justification or not, it is difficult to ignore that many of …
We should rewrite the story of DRC conflictThe Standard
Audio By VocalizeFDLR soldiers are searched by a Rwandan official at the main border crossing between DR Congo and Rwanda in Goma on March 1, 2025, during their repatriation by the M23 movement to Rwanda. …
Tale of an existential threat being treated casually by the WestCitizen Digital
… REUTERS Audio By Vocalize Members of the Congolese community in Kenya have called on the government to investigate alleged recruitment, mobilisation and fundraising activities linked to the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC)/M23 movement in Nairobi, warning that Kenya's democratic freed …
Congolese community urges Kenya to probe alleged M23 recruitment in NairobiCitizen Digital
… a = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-m', container: 'taboola-mid-article-thumbnails', placement: 'Mid Article Thumbnails', target_type: 'mix' }); Rwanda has long accused Congo of cooperating with the group, while Kinshasa accuses Kigali of backing AFC/M23 …
Congo, Rwanda spar over protocol to disarm Rwandan rebelsCitizen Digital
… REUTERS Audio By Vocalize United Nations experts appealed on Tuesday for an end to the "reign of terror" imposed by the M23 armed group in DR Congo, citing civilian reports of sexual torture and murder. …
UN experts say M23's 'reign of terror' in DRC must endCitizen Digital
… One of the affected provinces is South Kivu, which has seen clashes between the Congolese armed forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group. …
Ebola outbreak is 'fastest growing ever' as 600 dieThe Standard
… pushed loaded with items belonging to internally displaced persons, as they leave the camps in Bulengo on February 12, 2025. [AFP] The United Nations called Thursday for an immediate end to fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo between the armed forces and the M23 …
UN urges immediate end to fighting in eastern DR CongoA fire broke out at Ujamaa primary school in Bukavu, DR Congo, on Thursday while children were in lessons, triggering a stampede and causing students to jump from upper floors. At least 14 children were killed, according to local and health sources.
10 September 2026 · The Standard →
A fire broke out at Ujamaa primary school in Bukavu, DR Congo, on Thursday while children were in lessons, triggering a stampede and causing students to jump from upper floors. At least 14 children were killed, according to local and health sources.
10 September 2026 · The Standard →
A leading DRC opposition figure has called on President Felix Tshisekedi to "give up" proposed constitutional changes that could allow him to seek a third term, with elections two years away and tensions high between government and opponents since parliament approved the proposal.
24 August 2026 · The Standard →
The International Contact Group for the Great Lakes region has called on the DRC to swiftly implement a disarmament protocol after an FDLR faction formally accepted and signed it on July 28. The ICG, chaired by France and including the US, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the EU, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK, urged Kinshasa to develop an operational plan and realistic timeline for the effective neutralisation of the FDLR.
14 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
An opinion piece argues that decades of explanation for the eastern DRC conflict have focused narrowly on minerals, foreign interference, and military action while ignoring people's rights and political failures, and that finding a sustainable solution requires moving beyond these simplistic narratives to confront the conflict's underlying causes.
9 August 2026 · The Standard →
The article argues that Western governments view the FDLR militia as one weakened armed group among many in eastern DRC, while Rwanda regards it as the surviving military and ideological heir to genocide forces and an existential national security threat rooted in its ideology, intentions, and access to recruitment networks.
3 August 2026 · The Standard →
Members of Kenya's Congolese community have called on the government to investigate alleged recruitment, mobilisation and fundraising activities by the Alliance Fleuve Congo/M23 movement in Nairobi, urging that Kenya's democratic freedoms not be exploited to fuel the conflict in eastern DRC.
31 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Congo announced that the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Rwandan armed group operating in eastern Congo, had signed a disarmament protocol, but Rwanda rejected the move as violating a U.S.-brokered peace agreement between the two countries aimed at ending the regional conflict.
30 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Democratic Republic of Congo's constitutional court approved a proposal allowing President Felix Tshisekedi to seek a third term after a referendum, despite the current constitution limiting him to two terms ending in 2028. The process would require a panel of experts, constituent assembly approval by three-fifths majority, and a public vote.
30 July 2026 · The Standard →
The Democratic Republic of Congo's constitutional court approved a proposal that could allow President Felix Tshisekedi to run for a third term after a referendum. Tshisekedi, in power since 2019, is constitutionally required to step down at the end of his second five-year term in 2028, but has suggested he would accept a third term if people wanted him to.
29 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
United Nations experts have appealed for an end to the M23 armed group's "reign of terror" in the Democratic Republic of Congo, citing civilian reports of sexual torture and murder. The experts noted that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reported more than 90,000 cases of sexual violence related to armed conflict in DRC in 2025.
22 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Seven American aid workers who had been in Congo fighting an Ebola outbreak are quarantining at a new isolation facility in Kenya after the U.S. government introduced travel restrictions requiring Americans returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo to spend three weeks in a third country before entering the United States.
17 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Seven American aid workers who were in Congo fighting an Ebola outbreak are quarantining at a new isolation facility in Kenya after the U.S. introduced travel restrictions requiring American citizens returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo to spend three weeks in a third country before entering the United States.
17 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The Ebola outbreak in DR Congo is the "fastest growing" ever, with 1,759 confirmed cases and 600 deaths since mid-May, according to African health authorities and the WHO. The Africa CDC head said the current outbreak is spreading faster than previous ones, including the 2013-16 West Africa epidemic, with case numbers doubling every 28 days.
10 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The United Nations urged an immediate halt to fighting between Democratic Republic of Congo armed forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 militia in eastern DRC, which has displaced civilians and destroyed livelihoods despite a fragile peace deal reached in December.
9 July 2026 · The Standard →
The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 600 people among 1,759 confirmed cases since mid-May, making it the "fastest growing" outbreak ever according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus is doubling every 28 days and spreading faster than response efforts can be deployed.
9 July 2026 · The Standard →
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.
2 July 2026 · The Standard →
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.
30 June 2026 · Capital News →
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.
29 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
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.
28 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
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.
28 June 2026 · The Standard →
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.
27 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
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.
26 June 2026 · The Standard →
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.
23 June 2026 · The Standard →
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.
17 June 2026 · The Standard →
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.
12 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
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.
3 June 2026 · The Standard →
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.
31 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →
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.
29 May 2026 · The Standard →
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.
24 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →
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.
23 May 2026 · The Standard →