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M23 rebels handed over the Rumangabo army base to east African regional forces, after nearly two months in charge. The handover took place at a brief ceremony held at the facility. The gesture symbolizes the group’s commitment to peace. It may be recalled that a summit held in the Angolan capital last November ordered the rebels to vacate all Congolese territory under their occupation.
The Rumangabo base located in the Rutshuru territory fell to the rebels in November. In December, the rebels withdrew from another strategic town of Kibumba. Yet, the rebels have since gone on to capture more territory. That prompted the Congolese military to term the withdrawals a sham.
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The M23’s resurgence has created relations between the DRC and its smaller central African neighbour Rwanda. Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels. The United States, several European countries, and United Nations experts agree that Rwanda has been assisting the M23. Rwanda, however, denies the charge and accuses the Congolese government of colluding with the FDLR – a descendant of Rwandan Hutu extremist groups that carried out the 1994 Tutsi genocide in the Central African country.
