- Despite agreeing to a ceasefire strongly promoted by the U.S. President, the Democratic Republic of Congo soon saw the M23 rebels openly disregard the agreement and continue their offensive in eastern Congo.
- At the centre of the present conflict are the M23 rebels and the ethnic Tutsi population, spread across eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and western Rwanda.
- Several ceasefire attempts have been made, but none of them have been accepted or adhered to by the M23 rebels.
Africa, a continent that has long been the epicentre of political instability, civil wars, military coups, and a playground for global contention, is also a continent with immense potential. From a young demography to rich and vast mineral wealth and emerging markets, Africa has almost everything that a 21st-century continent requires to be vibrant. However, the continent has struggled to come out of its own internal problems. It is often referred to as the “Dark Continent”, and many experts describe its condition as a classic case of a resource dilemma or resource curse crisis that has been unfolding across Africa.
One of the major tensions currently unfolding is in Central Africa, between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. The conflict between the two countries has become so complicated that even American mediation and Qatari mediation have not been sufficient to bring both sides to a common ground. Many experts now describe this as a war beyond ceasefire, a war beyond mediation, and a war that is unique in its nature.
This raises an important question. What makes this war so unique and so interesting?
At the centre of this conflict are the M23 rebels and the ethnic Tutsi population, spread across eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and western Rwanda. The M23 rebels have been waging war for almost a year in the mineral-rich eastern region of the DRC. During this period, they have not only captured several strategic cities in the eastern mineral belt but have also caused large-scale famine, killings, and displacement.
What is particularly interesting is that several ceasefire attempts have been made, but none of them have been accepted or adhered to by the M23 rebels. This leads to another crucial question. How has an ethnic armed group made itself so immune to ceasefires, and why does it continue to advance in the eastern regions of the DRC?
Understanding the Rwandan Genocide
To understand the conflict between the DRC and the M23 rebels, it is necessary to go back to the year 1994 and the Rwandan genocide. During the genocide, around 800,000 members of the Tutsi community were slaughtered by Hutu extremists. The genocide was eventually stopped by the advance of the Tutsi-led forces under the leadership of Paul Kagame, the present President of Rwanda.
Following this, nearly one million Hutus fled into the border areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This mass movement became one of the root causes of the ongoing conflict. The Tutsi community of Rwanda began attacking the eastern parts of the DRC to take action against the Hutu extremist groups. The Rwandan government claims that those responsible for the 1994 genocide were given haven in the DRC.
Africa, a continent that has long been the epicentre of political instability, civil wars, military coups, and a playground for global contention, is also a continent with immense potential.
Not only that, Rwanda has accused the DRC government of working closely with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, the military wing of the Hutu extremists. According to Rwanda, the FDLR operates with the support and protection of the Congolese state.
On the other hand, the Democratic Republic of Congo accuses Rwanda of arming and supporting the M23 rebels. The DRC claims that nearly 4,000 Rwandan soldiers are fighting alongside the M23 rebels in eastern Congo. This allegation has been supported by several international actors, including the United Kingdom and France, which have accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels.
This connection is further strengthened by the fact that Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame was himself a leader of the Tutsi forces, and the current leader of the M23 rebels, Sultani Makenga, was once a part of the Rwandan army.
These actors form the principal war parties in the conflict. Although the roots of the war go back to 1994, several peace efforts have been made over the years. The Tutsi community argues that the DRC has failed to adhere to peace agreements and continues to collaborate with extremist Hutu groups. According to them, this threat forced the Tutsi population in eastern Congo to take up arms.
The Making Of The M23 Rebels
As a result, in 2012, the M23 rebel group was formally formed. The group stated that if they did not take up arms, the very existence of the Tutsi community in eastern DRC would be under threat. In 2012, the M23 rebels captured Goma, a strategic city in North Kivu province. Goma is located near the Rwandan border and serves as a vital trade and transportation hub.
Later, the Congolese army managed to push back and defeat the M23 rebels. However, the group re-emerged and intensified its operations again in January 2025. In January 2025, the M23 rebels launched a massive offensive and captured the city of Goma once again. In February, barely a month later, they captured Bukavu.
These developments led to a massive humanitarian crisis and destabilisation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. In response, the DRC administration began seeking international support. The DRC approached the United States of America with a proposal, offering access and cooperation in its vast and critical mineral resources in exchange for security assistance to stop the M23 offensive.
The United States, however, initially showed limited interest. As events unfolded and the crisis deepened, Washington was compelled to host a peace summit. The objective of the Washington peace talks was to halt the ongoing conflict, respect territorial integrity, and stop the bloodshed. Both countries agreed not to engage in direct conflict.
However, the Washington peace agreement did not mention the M23 rebels, who are the main drivers of the conflict. This omission led to widespread criticism. Many argued that the agreement was merely ceremonial, as it failed to address the root cause of the conflict. Despite this, the Democratic Republic of Congo agreed to the ceasefire, which was strongly promoted by the President of the United States. What followed, however, was telling. Within weeks of the ceasefire, the M23 rebels continued their offensive in eastern Congo, openly disregarding the agreement.
The M23 rebels also refused to respond to pressure from the United States. Instead, they entered separate negotiations with Qatar to explore another ceasefire arrangement. Even this effort failed to produce meaningful results. Presently, the M23 rebels are withdrawing from some of the towns they captured in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. However, there is no clear assurance regarding when or whether they will completely withdraw from the region.
This situation raises serious questions about the credibility of President Trump’s ceasefire claims, not only in this conflict but globally. More importantly, it raises a deeper question for African nations themselves. When will African countries truly recognise the economic importance and immense potential they possess, and understand that continuous wars and divisions only prevent them from realising that potential?
Aayush Pal is a freelance writer on contemporary geopolitical developments. The views expressed in his work are entirely his own.
Dr Nanda Kishor 
Shrivara Mahajan 
Mohmmad Rizwan