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SWAHILI TODAY

M23 Rebels

The AFC/M23 (Alliance Fleuve Congo / March 23 Movement) is a major politico-military rebel coalition operating across the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri). Anchored by the heavily armed M23 insurgency, widely documented by UN expert panels to receive direct military, logistical, and troop support from the Rwandan Defence Force (RDF)

Quick facts about M23 Rebels

  1. Political leadership is headed by Corneille Nangaa (AFC Political Coordinator, former CENI President) and Bertrand Bisimwa (M23 President), while military command is directed by Sultani Makenga (M23 Military Chief) and Willy Ngoma (Spokesperson).
  2. By early 2025, AFC/M23 offensive expanded beyond rural territories into urban centers, capturing key strategic hubs including Goma (capital of North Kivu) and Bukavu (capital of South Kivu), placing large swathes of eastern DRC under rebel administration.
  3. Designated by the U.N. Security Council 1533 Sanctions Committee (July 2026) and the U.S. Treasury (OFAC) under Executive Order 13413 for gross human rights abuses, unlawful exploitation of critical minerals (coltan, gold, tin), and destabilizing the territorial integrity of the DRC.
  4. In August 2024, a Kinshasa military court sentenced Corneille Nangaa, Bertrand Bisimwa, Sultani Makenga, and 23 co-defendants to death in absentia for treason, war crimes, and organizing an armed insurrection against the Congolese state.

People in these stories

Félix TshisekediFélix Tshisekedi5th President of DR CongoJoseph KabilaJoseph Kabila4th President of DR Congo

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