M23

The March 23 Movement (M23) is an armed group operating in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, backed by Rwanda and, according to UN experts, supplied with weapons, troops, and logistical support from Kigali (an allegation Rwanda denies). After re-emerging in 2021, M23 seized control of large swathes of North and South Kivu by February 2025, advancing on Goma and displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians. The group operates a parallel administration in territories it holds but has no functional public-health or outbreak-management apparatus.

In the context of the 2026 Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, M23 control of South Kivu became a direct biosecurity liability. When the first confirmed Bundibugyo case outside Ituri Province appeared in M23-held territory on 21 May 2026, responders found the patient had died before diagnosis; residents torched a treatment facility on arrival. The WHO and DRC health ministry cannot enforce isolation, SAFE-burial, or contact-tracing norms in rebel-held areas without tacit M23 cooperation, which has not been forthcoming.

Beyond the outbreak, M23 sits at the intersection of the broader DRC conflict, regional geopolitics, and the AU-brokered Nairobi and Luanda peace processes. Rwanda's strategic interest centres on resource access and security concerns about Hutu militia remnants (FDLR) sheltering in eastern Congo. M23's advance has drawn condemnation from the US, EU, and UN Security Council, with targeted sanctions applied against senior commanders. The group's territorial control remains the single largest obstacle to effective outbreak containment in eastern DRC.