United Nations peacekeepers and the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) have launched a joint operation Springbok to prevent the M23 rebel group from seizing towns in the country's east, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) said on Friday.
"Our main objective is to stop any attempt by the M23 to invade [the Congolese cities of] Sake or Goma. Our troops are deployed throughout the region and if armed groups approach these cities, MONUSCO and the FARDC will protect civilians," the mission said in a statement.
Recent fighting has forced some 300,000 people to flee their homes, according to the statement.
The mission has more than 14,000 troops in the country.
The M23 group, which fights for the interests of the Tutsi ethnic minority, suffered a major military defeat in November 2013 and was disbanded. In November 2021, the rebels took up arms again, accusing the country's authorities of violating agreements to integrate disarmed M23 rebels into the army.