By Erica Smith
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa
KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of the Congo– The rebel group, M23, announced on Tuesday that it is ending its insurgency in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The announcement came just hours after the government claimed military victory over the group. It its statement, made on the group’s Facebook page, M23 claimed that it would seek to accomplish its aims through “purely political means”. The group also urged its fighters to disarm and demobilize.
M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa announced that “the chief of general staff and the commanders of all major units are requested to prepare troops for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration on terms to be agreed with the government of Congo”.
The government claims that the last remaining rebels had either been capture or fled to neighboring countries overnight. The announcement also comes after an agreement signed by African leaders for M23 to make a public declaration renouncing the rebellion.
M23 has been has been fighting with the DRC military since April 2012. The group is primarily made up of former military members who defected because they believed the government did not honor a peace agreement with the National Congress for the Defense of the People signed March 23 2009. The primarily Tutsi groups is widely believed to be back by Rwanda and Uganda.
At least 800,000 people have fled their homes since the fighting began but many may not be able to return home because there are still other rebel groups active in Eastern Congo. “We now speak to other armed groups to surrender because if they don’t want to, then we will disarm them by force,” Army spokesman Colonel Olivier Hamuli told the BBC. The Information Minister Lambert Mende told AFP news agency that “There is no more place in our country for any irregular group”
The M23 has now been replaced at “top of the list” by the Rwandan Hutu FDLR militia. Rwanda has invaded DRC twice claiming it wanted to stop Hutu groups, such as the FDLR, from attacking it. Analysts believe that if the FDLR were defeated, Rwanda would lose its main justification for its involvement in Congolese affairs. Both Rwanda and Uganda deny aiding rebel groups in DRC.
M23 is set to sign a peace agreement with the DRC government on Monday.
For further information, please see:
Reuters — Congo says to sign peace deal with M23 rebels on Monday — 8 November 2013
Wall Street Journal — Congo M23 Rebels Set to Sign Peace Deal With Government — 9 November 2013
Christian Science Monitor — M23 surrender alone won’t end Congo war: 7 thoughts from US envoy — 7 November 2013
ABC News — Official: M23 Chief, Rebels Surrender to Uganda — 6 November 2013
Aljazeera — DR Congo army defeats M23 rebels — 6 November 2013
BBC News — DR Congo M23 rebels ‘end insurgency’ — 5 November 2012
