ABSTRACT
Armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has long been concentrated in the country's eastern provinces, namely Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. Much of this unrest stems from the fallout of the First and Second Congo wars, which themselves were fuelled by the region's colonial history, long-held intercommunal and anti-governmental grievances, and the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda. The group has accused the Congolese government of not upholding its commitments agreed in the peace deal signed after M23's last insurrection, of preventing former combatants from reintegrating, and of refusing political dialogue. Mai-Mai groups, formed as community-based self-defence militias during the Second Congo War, have also continued to proliferate, with over 220 factions. The capture of the town of Bunagana at the border with Uganda in June 2022 marked a turning point in the conflict, as it became apparent that M23 had the upper hand over the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
