2013 Kivu Offensive

Last updated

Kivu Offensive
DateOctober 2013
Location
Kivu Region, Congo
Result

Congolese military victory

  • End of M23 rebellion, rebels disbanded
Belligerents
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg Democratic Republic of CongoM23 rebels
Strength
3,800 hundreds
Casualties and losses
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg 20 DRC soldiers dead, a hundred wounded [1] unknown number killed, 1,600 surrender
12 civilians dead

The 2013 Kivu offensive refers to actions in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo by the Congolese army, which captured two towns from M23 rebels: Kiwanja and Buhumba, both of which are in the Rutshuru area of North Kivu province, near the Rwandan border. [2]

In October 2013, Congo told the UN that the M23 movement was virtually finished after being pushed back from its key position at Mount Hehu and Rumanagabo, north of Goma, to an enclave near Rwanda. Congo also re-captured Kiwanja and Rutshuru, where its forces discovered mass graves. [3] On 30 October, Bunagana, the first town seized by the rebels in 2012, was stormed by UN-backed Congolese troops as the rebels abandoned it. [4]

Following Uganda's calls for a ceasefire on 1 November and government shelling the next day, as well as a new offensive on 3 November in the hills around the border with Uganda and Rwanda, M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa called to "immediately end hostilities". He asked for the facilitator of the Kampala peace talks "to immediately put in place a mechanism to monitor the ceasefire." [5]

The army accused the rebels of bombing Bunagana. Army spokesman Olivier Hamuli said: "This is not fighting, it is bombs launched by M23 targeting the population of Bunagana. They are targeting civilians." Conversely, the rebels said that they were attacked with heavy weapons. Radio Okapi reported that four civilians were killed and 10 others were wounded in Bunagana on 4 November. UN, EU and AU envoys urged both sides not to undo the progress made in peace talks, saying that M23 should renounce its rebellion and the army should hold off from further military action. [6]

The next day, following the two-week UN-backed offensive, [7] the government claimed to have defeated the rebels. [8] M23 representatives said that it was ending its rebellion and would disarm and demobilise its forces in order to pursue a political solution. The announcement came hours after its fighters were driven out of its last two strongholds of Tshanzu and Runyoni at about 3:00.

Bisimiwa issued a statement that read: "The chief of general staff and the commanders of all major units are requested to prepare troops for disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration on terms to be agreed with the government of Congo." Government spokesman Laurent Mende said that many rebel fighters were surrendering and that Congo was ready to pursue peace talks. The U.S. special envoy for the African Great Lakes region said from Pretoria: "In a region that has suffered so much, this is obviously a significant positive step in the right direction." [9] On 6 November 2013, the March 23 rebels fled the country. [10] The next day, the rebels surrendered at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda [11] Another 1,500 fighters, believed to be most of the force, were held after surrendering in Kisoro by the borders; they included Sultani Makenga. [12]

At a meeting in Entebbe, Uganda, the Congolese government delegation left the talks after a failure to agree to a wording of a document intended to officially end the insurgency. Government spokesman Lambert Mende said: "Uganda seems now to be acting as part of the conflict. It has interests in M23." At the same time, no dates for talks to resume were set. [13]

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References

  1. ↑ "RDC: à Chanzu, les FARDC célèbrent leur victoire contre le M23 - RDC …". Archived from the original on 1 December 2013.
  2. ↑ "Congolese Army Says It Has Taken 2 More Towns". ABC News. 26 October 2013.
  3. ↑ "Congolese soldiers push back M23 rebels – Africa". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  4. ↑ "Congo army enters last major rebel stronghold – Africa". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  5. ↑ "DRC's M23 rebels declare ceasefire – Africa". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  6. ↑ "DR Congo battles rage despite ceasefire offer – Africa". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  7. ↑ "DR Congo army defeats M23 rebels - Africa". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 2013-11-06.
  8. ↑ Moses Rono BBC Africa security correspondent (5 November 2013). "BBC News - DR Congo claims defeat of M23 rebels". BBC News. Retrieved 2013-11-06.
  9. ↑ "DR Congo rebels say their revolt is over - Africa". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 2013-11-06.
  10. ↑ "Defeated M23 rebels flee DRC".
  11. ↑ , BBC
  12. ↑ "DR Congo Rebels Surrender in Uganda", Al-Jazeera, November 2013
  13. ↑ DRC Leaves Uganda-hosted Talks with Rebels", Al-Jazeera, 19 November 2013
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