M23 Rwanda and the UN fighting in DRC

M23 Rwanda and the UN fighting in DRC

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gotoPzero

Original Poster:

19,068 posts

204 months

Wednesday 29th January
quotequote all
Not seen much of this one MSM but seems to be heating up.
The M23 (Rebel group) are fighting the UN and Congolese army and rebels.

I wonder if the UK relationship with Rwanda is why we have not heard much of this?

The South African military have deployed and I believe they already lost about a dozen soldiers.

I appreciate this area regularly sees fighting but this does look like it might become something a bit bigger.
More war, just what we need eh.

Ian Geary

5,020 posts

207 months

Wednesday 29th January
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I don't think the proposed Rwanda deal had anything to do with surpresssing reporting of this latest round of violence.

I recall the glee with which it was reported that the UK was itself granting asylum requests from Rwanda whilst simultaneously wanting to send asylum seekers there...if the been or guardian etc had wanted to report this they would have done.

More likely regional events have just taken a turn south, like Ethiopia and Sudan did recently.


I am more surprised about the UN actually doing any fighting there (I know they are just national army units in a white truck). Still, I suppose they couldn't just sit around in a hotel again - people might start to see a pattern.


4.7AMV8

2,317 posts

181 months

Thursday 30th January
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Not the news I want to hear....just sold a load of equipment to DRC!

ChocolateFrog

31,993 posts

188 months

Thursday 30th January
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So much for Rwanda's efforts to make themselves a tourist destination.

Earthdweller

16,028 posts

141 months

Thursday 30th January
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https://f24.my/AuVX

The fighting isn't in Rwanda but the rebels are backed by Rwanda .. there's more depth on the link

DR Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi insisted Wednesday that his troops were mounting a "vigorous" military response as Rwanda-backed fighters advanced in the east of the country.

DRC's mineral-rich east has been wracked by decades of conflict involving scores of armed groups that can be partly traced back to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

DRC is rich in gold and other minerals such as cobalt, coltan, tantalum and tin used in batteries and electronics worldwide.

Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of waging the offensive to profit from the region's mineral wealth – a claim backed by UN experts who say Kigali has thousands of troops in its neighbour and "de facto control" over the M23.

Rwanda has denied the accusations.

Kagame has never admitted military involvement, saying Rwanda's aim is to destroy a DRC-based armed group, the FDLR, created by former Hutu leaders who massacred Tutsis during the genocide.

fido

17,751 posts

270 months

Friday 31st January
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Did anyone else wonder why they named themselves after a motorway? The Pease Pottage Faction would sound more menacing.

BertieWooster

3,685 posts

179 months

Friday 31st January
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There's a good article by Bellingcat on the conflict which is well worth a read if you get the chance: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/01/29/m23-reb....