WHO IS THE M23?

With Qatar and the United States as brokers, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) signed a deal on 27 June with Rwanda with the stated goal of ending hostilities in the DRC's mineral-rich, war-torn eastern region. The agreement would include disarming and integrating armed groups. 

However, the elephant in the room is the Rwanda- and Uganda-backed M23, a militia group that has seized vast swaths of territory. Why, then, was Rwanda at the peace table? To understand, here's a bit of history.

The M23 militia has cited Tutsis’ long-time marginalisation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with roots in the 1994 Rwandan gen*cide, as its raison d’être. However, M23 appears to serve more so as an economic tool, facilitating the extraction and smuggling of minerals like gold and tantalum, which reports say Rwanda exports despite possessing few domestic reserves. 

Is the M23 a genuine defender of marginalised communities or merely a proxy force for Rwandan economic and geopolitical interests? Here is a history of the group. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.