March 23 Movement (M23) Sultani Makenga (center), a military leader in the M23 rebel group, and other M23 members walking in Bunagana, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, July 8, 2012. (more) March 23 Movement rebel group Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/March-23-Movement Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: M23, Mouvement du 23 Mars Written by Amy McKenna Amy McKenna is a senior editor, primarily focused on geography and history matters pertaining to sub-Saharan Africa. She joined Encyclopaedia Britannica in 2004. She was previously employed by Standard... Amy McKenna Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Feb 6, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question French: Mouvement du 23 Mars (Show more) { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What are the main goals of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "M23 claims to defend the interests of the Tutsi population in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including protecting them from Hutu militias and other armed groups. M23 also aims to overthrow the DRC government, which it considers to be dysfunctional." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How did the M23 group originate? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "M23 originated from the National Congress for the Defense of the People (Congru00E8s National de Du00E9fense du Peuple; CNDP) militia, formed in 2006 by Congolese Tutsi soldiers in North Kivu. The group was founded in 2012, claiming grievances related to the implementation of the CNDPu2019s 2009 peace agreement with the DRC government." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How did M23u2019s 2012 rebellion end? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "A 2013 military intervention, involving armed troops from Congo and regional and international forces, led to M23u2019s surrender in November and a peace agreement in December." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What led to the revival of M23 in 2021? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The group claimed to be dissatisfied with the DRC governmentu2019s slow implementation of the 2013 peace agreement and the deteriorating security situation in eastern DRC." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How has Rwanda been involved with M23? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Rwanda has been documented supporting M23 by providing weapons, supplies, and advanced military technology. Rwanda Defence Force troops have also been reported to fight alongside M23 in the DRC, despite Rwandau2019s denials." } } ] } Top Questions What are the main goals of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group? M23 claims to defend the interests of the Tutsi population in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including protecting them from Hutu militias and other armed groups. M23 also aims to overthrow the DRC government, which it considers to be dysfunctional.
How did the M23 group originate? M23 originated from the National Congress for the Defense of the People (Congrès National de Défense du Peuple; CNDP) militia, formed in 2006 by Congolese Tutsi soldiers in North Kivu. The group was founded in 2012, claiming grievances related to the implementation of the CNDP’s 2009 peace agreement with the DRC government.
How did M23’s 2012 rebellion end? A 2013 military intervention, involving armed troops from Congo and regional and international forces, led to M23’s surrender in November and a peace agreement in December.
What led to the revival of M23 in 2021? The group claimed to be dissatisfied with the DRC government’s slow implementation of the 2013 peace agreement and the deteriorating security situation in eastern DRC.
How has Rwanda been involved with M23? Rwanda has been documented supporting M23 by providing weapons, supplies, and advanced military technology. Rwanda Defence Force troops have also been reported to fight alongside M23 in the DRC, despite Rwanda’s denials.
March 23 Movement (M23), rebel group primarily based in North Kivu, a mineral-rich province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is one of many armed groups in the conflict-ridden eastern DRC that have been fighting against other armed groups as well as the DRC’s army, the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo; FARDC). The rebel group’s name comes from the March 23, 2009, peace agreement signed between its predecessor, the National Congress for the Defense of the People (Congrès National de Défense du Peuple; CNDP) militia, ...(100 of 3123 words)
Access the full article Help support true facts by becoming a member. Subscribe today!