M23 Rebels Establishing Parallel State in Eastern DRC: UN Report
M23 Rebels Establishing Parallel State in Eastern DRC: UN Report
The M23 rebel group is setting up parallel tax, judicial, and security administrations while seizing strategic territory, according to a new interim report by UN experts.
Despite a US-brokered peace deal signed last month between the DRC and Rwanda, which is accused of supporting the M23, and a separate Qatari-mediated process, the rebels continue to expand their control with Rwandan backing, the report noted.
The group has solidified control over key mineral resources, including key assets like the Twangiza gold mine and controlling significant portions of tin, tantalum, and wolframite production, to finance its operations amid stalled diplomacy, the experts said.
Meanwhile, the Congolese army continues to ally with the FDLR militia—linked to the Rwandan genocide—against M23, despite promises to neutralize it, according to the UN report.
The widening conflict has led to widespread reports of atrocities against civilians and the displacement of millions, with the UN experts noting a severe humanitarian crisis and the absence of effective enforcement mechanisms to implement peace deals.
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