From CNDP to M23: Understanding the Roots of Congo’s Lingering Crisis

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The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is known for frequent conflicts. Its eastern provinces, especially North Kivu, have experienced frequent wars, displacement, and humanitarian crises.

Since the colonial period to CNDP to M23 Congo is still struggling to create a peceful world for its people.


The CNDP: Seeds of a Rebellion (2006–2009)

The National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) was created in 2006. In the eruption of the Second Congo War, the conflict was reffered to as the "Africa’s World War" because of the involvement of many African nations and militias. 

The peace agreement was signed in 2003, but the eastern Congo still remained in conflicts, still disturbed by ethnic misunderstandings, foreign interventions, and the presence of various armed groups.

The CNDP was under the leadership of Laurent Nkunda, who was a former general in the Congolese army and a Congolese Tutsi. 

The group claimed to be defending the Tutsi population in North Kivu from persecution and attacks by Hutu militias, especially the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda). The  group was composed of  largely Rwandan Hutus, including elements responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

Nkunda and his fighters accused the Congolese government of failing to protect Tutsis and ignoring insecurity in the east. But the CNDP quickly gained a reputation, it was also known for brutality, including human rights abuses, recruitment of child soldiers, and massacres. 

Between 2006 and 2008, the CNDP fought battles against the Congolese army (FARDC) and other armed groups, something that acted as a threat to the major city of Goma in late 2008.


The 2009 Peace Agreement;

The international community signed a peace agreement between the Congolese government and the CNDP on March 23, 2009.

According to the agreement:

  • CNDP fighters were supposed to be integrated into the national army.

  • The CNDP was to be recognized as a political party.

  • The government was supposed to work to improve security and development in the east.

Some of the fighters joined the army, while others remained loyal to former commanders. Amongst them, was Bosco Ntaganda, a warlord who was later listed by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes.


The Birth of M23: Broken Promises and Renewed Rebellion (2012).

Three years after the peace agreement, misunderstanding among the former CNDP fighters rose. They accused the government of violating the 2009 agreement, mentioning poor treatment within the army, lack of promised benefits, and continued insecurity in Tutsi areas.

In April 2012, around 300 ex-CNDP soldiers revolted, forming the March 23 Movement, or M23. It was named after the date of the peace agreement, they said was never respected.

M23 rapidly gained momentum under the leadership of Sultani Makenga and initially allied with Bosco Ntaganda. In a few months, the group controlled large parts of North Kivu.

In November 2012, they suprised the world by capturing Goma which was the provincial capital, without much resistance.

The DRC accused Rwanda and Uganda of supporting M23, and UN reports agreed with these claims, revealing evidence of Rwandan military and logistical support. Both Rwanda and Uganda denied involvement, but diplomatic relations broke.


M23's Collapse: Military Defeat and Exile (2013)

After facing pressure from the international community, the United Nations took an important step: it deployed a Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) under MONUSCO, its peacekeeping mission in the DRC. Unlike previous peacekeepers, the FIB had a permission to engage offensively against armed groups.

In 2013, the Congolese army, with the help of the FIB, launched a coordinated invasion against M23. The offensive was successful.

By November 2013, M23 had been defeated militarily. Its leaders ran away. Makenga went to Uganda, others to Rwanda. The DRC considered the victory as a turning point, and M23 was believed to have collapsed.


Revival of M23 (2021–Present).

In 2021, M23 returned stronger, more organized, and with a almost the same list of grievances. They accused the government again of failing to integrate their fighters, provide protection to Tutsi communities, and fulfill past promises.

This time, their rise was more threatening. M23 fighters captured important towns like Bunagana (on the border with Uganda), leading to the  displacement of many people and created one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent Congolese history.

Reports from the UN and international NGOs again mentioned Rwanda in aiding M23, this time more directly, with weapons, intelligence, and Rwandan troops operating in the DRC. Rwanda as before, denied involvement into the conflict.

The M23 revival has brought eastern DRC into turmoil:

  • Civilians are still being shot, subjected to mass killings and sexual violence, and forced to flee their homes."

  • About seven million people are now displaced into different parts of the country.

  • MONUSCO, has lost popularity due to perceived inaction. It is in the process of withdrawing entirely under pressure from the Congolese public.

Attempts by the East African Community (EAC) and international mediators to bring peace have  failed to produce a permanent ceasefire. M23 still controls large territory in North Kivu.


Conclusion:

Peace agreements have been signed several times, but the grievances that drive young men to pick up arms remain unsolved.

To end these chaos, the DRC government, regional actors like Rwanda and Uganda, and the international community should attend to the underlying issues, such as; ethnic marginalization, governance failures, and foreign meddling.


Related topics:

Political, social and economic changes in African countries after Independence.

https://historyforumtz.blogspot.com/2020/05/changes-in-political-social-and.html

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