Rebels who failed

• M23, or the Mouvement Du March 23, operates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, drawing support from neighboring Rwanda.

• The group, formed in 2012 by members of the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), claims to protect the minority Tutsis from Hutu ethnic militias.

• The group’s origins are rooted in noble intentions, claiming to protect the minority Tutsis from Hutu ethnic militias.

• The group’s activities have fluctuated, with the group capturing Goma in 2012 and retreated into Uganda in 2013.

• The group’s activities have been questioned, with questions raised about whether it acts as a proxy for Rwanda, which stands to benefit from the Coltan ores in the DRC.

• The group is accused of child slavery, rape, and other war crimes by the UN.

• The group continues to make both territorial and financial gains at the cost of Congolese citizens, with clashes taking the lives of 2,900 people and displacing more than 7,00,000 since January.