March 23 Movement

The March 23 Movement, often abbreviated as M23 and also known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army (Armée révolutionnaire du Congo), is a Congolese Tutsi-led, Rwandan-backed rebel military group.^[6] It is based in eastern areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It operates mainly in the province of North Kivu, which borders both Uganda and Rwanda.

March 23 Movement Mouvement du 23-Mars (in French)
Leader	Bertrand Bisimwa (president)[1] Sultani Makenga (military chief) Jean-Marie Runiga Lugerero (former president)
Dates of operation	May 6, 2012 (2012-05-06) – present[2]
Active regions	Democratic Republic of the Congo, primarily North Kivu
Ideology	Pro-Tutsi Pro-Rwanda
Status	Active
Size	At least 5,500 (c. late 2012)[3][4]
Allies	Rwanda
Opponents	Democratic Republic of the Congo Wagner Group (allegedly)[5] Wazalendo
Battles and wars	Kivu conflict M23 rebellion M23 offensive (2022–present) Battle of Goma (2025)

On 20 November 2012, M23 took control of Goma, a provincial capital with a population of a million people. In late 2012, Congolese troops, along with UN troops, retook control of Goma, and M23 announced a ceasefire and said that it wanted to resume peace talks.^[7]

M23 rebels killed at least 319 civilians, including 48 women and 19 children, in Template:Date- in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights^[8].