M23 was formed by deserters of the DRC Armed Forces (FARDC) who had previously been members of the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) rebel group and been dissatisfied with the conditions of their service.

[19] The situation was further complicated by the factionalism within M23, as the movement was split into rival groups, namely the "Alliance for the Salvation of the People" headed by Jean-Marie Runiga, and the "Revolutionary Army of Congo" of Bertrand Bisimwa respectively.

[51] On 29 March, the FARDC was able to repel a rebel attack against the border town of Bunagana, but M23 captured several villages, including Mugingo, Gasiza, Chengerero, Rugamba, Kibote, Baseke and Kabindi.

[55] In late April, the DRC government and several rebel groups held peace talks in Nairobi,[20] but the Bisimwa faction of M23 voluntarily left[23] or was expelled from the negotiations due to the ongoing clashes in North Kivu.

[9] The fighting also stoked local ethnic tensions; North Kivu's deputy police commander, Francois-Xavier Aba van Ang, released a video urging civilians to organize as militiamen to combat M23 in a "people's war".

[84] According to the newspaper Eco News, the FARDC reportedly inflicted a defeat on M23 at the Runyoni frontline around this time, wounding Sultani Makenga and killing another rebel commander, Colonel Yusuf Mboneza.

[88] On 1 July, the FARDC claimed to had won a major victory over M23 and allied Rwandan troops after heavy fighting at Rutsiro, Ntamugenga and Nyabikona,[89] completely evicting the insurgents from the Bweza grouping (groupement) in Rutshuru.

[102] Violent protests also erupted in Goma and other eastern Congolese cities, with civilians attacking MONUSCO members and buildings, accusing the organization of inaction in the face of the ongoing regional rebellions.

[152] The evidence depicts rows of armed personnel in uniform, operating equipment such as artillery, armored vehicles with radar and anti-aircraft missile systems, and troop transport trucks.

[163] Humanitarian sources detailed accounts of atrocities, including the sexual assault of five young girls in Kalungu, 15 kilometers south of Minova in the Buzi groupement, Kalehe Territory, and two additional women in Bihovu, a locality within Shanje in Lowa-Numbi village.

[171] FARDC announced that they are continuing their fight against the M23 rebels and RDF on multiple fronts in the eastern region of the country, asserting that they are containing "the enemy" in the areas of Lubero, Sake, and Nyiragongo, while admitting to "breakthroughs" by M23 in Bweremana and Minova.

[175] On 23 January, intensified clashes erupted as the M23-RDF coalition launched a pre-dawn offensive against FARDC and Wazalendo positions near Sake, encompassing strategic corridors such as the Sake-Kirotshe, Sake-Mushaki, and Sake-Kitshanga roads.

[187] President João Lourenço condemned the occupation of Sake and Minova by the M23-RDF coalition, declaring, "These irresponsible actions by the M23 and its supporters are worsening the humanitarian situation, particularly around Goma, and threatening regional security".

[194] In response to these developments, Congolese government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya Katembwe criticized the African Union Commission for referring to M23 as a "political-military opposition", emphasizing that the group is a terrorist organization supported by Rwanda.

[201] Goma's infrastructure faced severe challenges, including water and electricity outages, blocked roads, and persistent GPS interference, which threatened both civilian and humanitarian air operations.

[213] On 28 January, large-scale civil unrest erupted in Kinshasa during the morning hours, with crowds assembling outside key embassies—including those of Kenya, the US, Belgium, Rwanda, Netherlands, Uganda, and France—to demand more decisive international intervention and call for the immediate withdrawal of the M23-RDF coalition.

[224] During the same timeframe, over 300 men—allegedly "Romanian mercenaries" hired by the DRC to counter the rebel offensive—surrendered to M23 forces and, bereft of an alternative escape route, eventually handed themselves over to MUNUSCO peacekeeping units in Goma, who arranged for their repatriation via Kigali, Rwanda.

[238] Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric provided an alarming update on the humanitarian crisis, disclosing that "more than 700 people" had been killed and 2,800 wounded within a mere five-day span of intensified conflict, with casualty figures based on assessments conducted collaboratively by the World Health Organization (WHO), its affiliated partners, and the Congolese government between 26–30 January.

[239][240] On 1 February, Colonel Alexis Rugabisha, commander of FARDC's 12th Brigade, was killed in combat against M23-RDF forces on the Kanyanja axis near Kiniezire, after leading a counteroffensive that successfully expelled M23 militants from Nyabibwe toward the periphery of Minova, before ultimately succumbing to battlefield injuries.

[241][242][243] That same day, EAC convened a virtual summit, chaired by President William Ruto, calling for an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire in eastern DRC and urging Kinshasa to engage in direct dialogue with all stakeholders, including M23.

[247] In response to the worsening security situation, Congolese ministers Jean-Pierre Bemba and Ève Bazaiba traveled to Kisangani, where they gathered several hundred young volunteers to enlist in FARDC's ranks.

[250] Costa expressed optimism that constructive talks would occur in Dar es Salaam under the auspices of the SADC and the EAC during the forthcoming International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), scheduled to convene on 7 and 8 February.

[251] FARDC's military justice system issued an arrest warrant against Corneille Nangaa Yubeluo, accusing him of failing to prevent or suppress acts of torture committed under his authority.

[255] On 8 February, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) denounced M23 and RDF, demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities, a full withdrawal from unlawfully occupied territories, and adherence to established humanitarian corridor agreements.

[259] The summit mandated the EAC-SADC Chiefs of Defence Forces to convene within five days to provide technical guidance on enforcing a ceasefire, facilitating humanitarian assistance, securing Goma and its surroundings, reopening critical supply routes, and ensuring safe navigation on Lake Kivu.

[263] On 10 February, Congolese Deputy Minister of National Defense and Veterans, Guy Kabombo Muadiamvita, visited Beni, where he led a security council meeting and addressed FARDC troops stationed on the front lines.

[265] The following day, at approximately 1:00 a.m., unidentified armed men assassinated Chief Prosper Kimanuka Musakura and his three children in Kiziba II, a village in the Mudja groupement of Bukumu Chiefdom, which had been under M23-RDF control since late January.

[272] That same day, revolutionary Goma-based musician Katembo Vinywa Delphin, known as Delcat Idengo, was assassinated—allegedly targeted for opposing M23 after escaping Munzenze prison when Goma fell to the rebels in late January.

[280] According to United Nations Security Council researchers, the presence of individuals in Rwandan uniforms among the rebels has been proven through photos and drone footage, partially explaining the M23 forces' increased professionalism.

Congo Research Group director Jason Stearns stated that, though there was "no certainty" about Rwanda backing the M23 offensive, the rebels' firepower and various frontline reports made Rwandan involvement "very likely".