Within three years, the March 23 movement (M23), supported by Rwanda, has occupied large parts of North Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In recent days, the militias have taken control of the strategically important town of Minova and briefly seized the small town of Sake, before being partially pushed back by Congolese soldiers. From positions on the surrounding hills, the rebels are firing heavy artillery.

According to the United Nations, peacekeepers are patrolling with the Congolese army and assisting in securing the civilian population, which has repeatedly been caught in the crossfire.

M23 rebels in recent days attempted to capture the million-strong city of Goma, located on Lake Kivu. Thirteen soldiers from international peacekeeping forces were killed during the attempt. The governments of South Africa, Malawi and Uruguay announced the deaths of their soldiers on Saturday, prompting an emergency session of the UN Security Council in New York.

The UN has said the conflict has displaced more than 400,000 people in the region since the beginning of the year. The displaced people are lacking food, water and medical care. Many have fled to neighboring Rwanda.

M23 objective: Control of raw materials

The M23's offensives seem to follow a clear logic: They want to gain control over the region's natural resources, such as gold, cassiterite, coltan, cobalt and diamonds. After initially capturing parts of the Rutshuru and Masisi regions, the rebels are now moving towards the Walikale area, known for its significant coltan production. Coltan is a mineral that is strategically important for the energy transition.

In early August 2024, under Angola's mediation, a ceasefire agreement was signed between Rwanda and Congo. However, on October 20, the rebels resumed their offensive in the northwest.

In December, peace talks between Congo and Rwanda under Angola's mediation failed. A meeting between Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame was canceled at the last minute.

For a time, M23 rebels occupied the city of Kalembe, about 90 kilometers (55 miles) north of Sake, but were later driven out by a counteroffensive from the Wazalendo militias and the Nduma Defense of Congo Rénové (NDC-R). Congo accused NDC-R leader Guidon Shimiray Mwissa of war crimes and issued an arrest warrant, with the UN imposing sanctions. Now, he is fighting alongside the Congolese army.

UN: M23 collects fees on coltan production

Kalembe is located on an important transportation route that provides access to key mining areas.

"The Walikale area is very rich in natural resources," said Augustin Muhesi, a political science professor in North Kivu. "If the M23 wants to occupy this area, it is only to gain access to mining resources to finance their military operations."

According to the United Nations, the M23 is already generating around $300,000 (€285,000) per month from taxes on coltan production in the Masisi and Rutshuru regions. In April 2024, the M23 surrounded the town of Sake, a traffic hub and last bastion before the provincial capital, Goma. The rebels also took control of the mining town of Rubaya, which holds large coltan deposits.

Are M23 rebels exporting coltan to Rwanda?

The Congolese government has accused the M23 of exporting production from the Rubaya mines to Rwanda. According to a local civil society organization, the M23 has already distributed materials to resume mining operations at these sites.

The latest UN report on Congo said there are currently around 3,000 to 4,000 Rwandan soldiers from the Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) on Congolese soil, supporting the M23 rebels, who number about 3,000 fighters.

"The RDF has no longer been limited to supporting M23 operations in the Rutshuru, Masisi, and Nyiragongo regions but has now directly and decisively intervened," the UN experts wrote. This has allowed both groups — the M23 and the RDF— to quickly expand their territory to the shores of Lake Edward, it added.

According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project, a nongovernmental organization that tracks global conflicts, the M23 rebel movement has been involved in nearly 1,700 violent incidents since resuming its activities in November 2021, claiming the lives of at least 1,746 people.

The article was updated by Antonio Cascais on January 26, 2025, to reflect recent developments.