Rebels who recently took over the largest city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Goma, were told to leave by the United Nations, the United States, and regional governments. The insurgents are talking, however, about pushing on towards the capital of Kinshasa.
The majority of fighters in the M23 rebel group—notorious for human rights abuses—are defected Congolese soldiers who started battling the army in April. The U.N. believes the group is backed by the Rwandan government.
M23 rebels held a victory rally in Goma, a city of about half a million people, after taking it over on Tuesday. They took over reportedly without firing a single shot against Congolese soldiers or U.N. peacekeepers, who had been ordered to withdraw.
The M23 appears well-armed, with night-vision equipment, mortars, uniforms, well-supplied, and have a number of arms and munitions.
“They exhibit many characteristics of a strong, disciplined, established military force with sophisticated tactics and operations, including night operations, which are not characteristic of traditional performance,” Roger Meece, head of the U.N.’s Congo peacekeeping force, said in a press release.
