Late 2012 offensive March 23 Movement

march 23 movement forces had advanced outskirts of goma 18 november 2012 , warned un peacekeepers (monusco) not support government troops. congolese government spokesman lambert mende accused rwanda of backing rebels. drc has not yet declared war, ready face it. our country, our duty .

m23 rebels advanced on goma 20 november, , congolese army retreated little fighting. m23 forces paraded through city, , residents turned out welcome them. congolese customs officers abandoned posts, leaving border rwanda open. united nations peacekeepers watched occupation without intervening, stating mandate limited protecting safety of civilians. jeune afrique later reported m23 rebels acquired 6 artillery pieces (type 26 , bm-type rocket launchers)approximately ~20 shipping containers filled arms , ammunitions of various caliber, of abandoned fardc during retreat goma.

dr congo president joseph kabila urged goma s citizens resist m23 takeover. un secretary general ban ki-moon criticized m23 alleged human rights violations during takeover, including intimidation of journalists , , abduction of women , children. noting first congo war had begun fighting in same region, new york times described takeover of goma raising serious questions stability of congo whole .

on 21 november 2012, during siege more 2,000 congolese soldiers , 700 policemen defected m23.

nyanzale refugee camp, 150km north of goma

on 22 november, fardc, in cooperation local mai-mai elements, routed m23 rebels nearby town of sake, 27 kilometers goma, marched towards bukavu. 22 november, kabila suspended general gabriel amisi s fardc commission because of inquiry alleged role in arms sales various rebel groups, including fdlr, in eastern part of country, implicated m23. on 23 november, m23 rebels retook sake fardc after intense four-hour battle , reinforced position in town, reportedly moved toward kirotshe south, mushaki north-west, , kingi north. meanwhile, fardc reinforced position in minova, near south kivu provincial border, more 3500 soldiers. un has declared lost access 30 of 31 refugee camps in area due m23 offensive.

on 24 november in south kivu, colonel albert kahasha, had surrendered , joined government troops along other leaders of mai-mai militia groups raïa mutomboki , nyatura. on 13 november defected again fardc. @ regional meeting in kampala, leaders of great lakes area gave m23 two-day ultimatum leave goma. combined force include international troops, fardc company, , m23 company posted near goma airport , take charge of security. when ultimatum expired on 26 november, m23 still controlled city.

m23 rebels leaving goma, 30 november 2012

the fardc, had withdrawn after raping 126 women, of them less 10 years old, according united nations , looting money , possessions of local population, came minova in counteroffensive launched against m23 positions in masisi, north kivu region on 27 november. m23 set road block on road goma sake , reportedly extorted funds drivers.

following peace deal negotiated in uganda, m23 said withdraw goma 1 december. on 30 november, m23 troops began withdraw sake , masisi. first contingent of 200 police officers arrived in goma on 30 november, in anticipation of m23’s withdrawal. m23 operatives allegedly kept presence there, dressed in civilian police uniforms. on eve of withdrawal, fadrc forces accused m23 rebels of going door door in of goma’s suburbs on eve of withdrawal, looting personal possessions, money , vehicles. political wing of movement denied accusation, , said criminal elements had escaped munzenze prison responsible looting.

on 3 december 2012, fardc , congolese government officials re-enter goma, 2 days after m23 left city.

on 24 february 2013, leaders of eleven african nations signed agreement designed bring peace eastern region of democratic republic of congo, among them rwanda , uganda. both had been accused of aiding m23 rebellion, charge denied. m23 not represented either in negotiations, or @ signing.

on 18 march 2013, bosco ntaganda handed himself in u.s. embassy in kigali, rwanda, requested transfer international criminal court in hague, netherlands. though reasons surrender unknown speculated either pressured rwanda or feared infighting within m23 movement , military leader sulani makenga, had forced ntaganda s forces flee drc rwanda. though rwanda not signatory rome statute, media speculated forced turn him on icc. u.s. had listed him on rewards justice program. on 22 march, detained icc , appeared first time in front of icc on 26 march, denied charges of rape, murder, , other offenses.