DR Congo: The end of M23 ?

All Africa reports

DR Congo Deploys On M23 Frontiers

FARDC Tanks Not. FARDC forces do night fight when there is the remotest possibility someone else will do it for them. The Rapists of FARDC are again not actually really in the picture. ( My words HIA )

The Democratic Republic of Congo government Wednesday deployed hundreds of soldiers and tanks along its frontier with M23 rebels territory creating up new tensions in the war-torn country.

The M23 Spokesperson Rene Abandi told New Vision Thursday that the DR Congo Army has stationed their forces on several fronts in Mabenga and Butembo and opened more fronts in Tongo and Giseguro in the North Kivu province which is a clear sign that they want to attack the M23 positions.

This has been evident for quite some time although perhaps not to M23 who up until as recently as the 9th June were expecting peace talks to resume in Kampala.

The reports comes hours after the DR Congo army spokesman Colonel Olivier Amuli told Radio France where he said that the government Army, Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC) has already finalized plans and strategies to fight the M23 rebels.

"We are only waiting for an order from President Joseph Kabila to flush out these rebels out and stabilize the region"Col Amuli told Radio France International on Tuesday.

I am guessing that the major strategy that the worse than worse than useless FARDC have come up with is to wait for the Africa Brigade to form up so that FARDC can get on with robbing and raping leaving the Africa Brigade do the job they are meant to.

Colonel Amuli recently said that President Kabila is more inclined to the Military option than seeking a political solution to the crisis in the Eastern part of the country that has led to thousands of people to live in refugee camps in Uganda and Rwanda while others are languishing in internal refugee camps near Goma city.

Kabila is a worm. He is partial to the least risky option to his power and if that means letting the Eastern Congolese die so be it.

On Monday June 17th South Africa deployed troops in Goma city to reinforce the Tanzanian contingent that will form the United Nations Intervention Brigade (UNIB) expected to combat M23 rebels.

Funny how brave this has made FARDC.

However the M23 rebels have said that they are well prepared for any attack on their positions and will not be threatened in any way.

Sources close to the M23 military command near Goma confided to New Vision that the rebel movement has in the recent months intensified military training of their men including new recruitment of fighters and intelligence gathering.

I think that this is the end of the road for M23. They cannot stand against the Africa Brigade. There  has been no accommodation made by the DR Congo government who have given up paying the usual lip service and going through the motions of the Kampala peace talks. 

In May, several youth from the districts of Kiruhura, Masaka, Ssembabule and Mayuge were arrested by Uganda authorities after they were suspected to be recruits destined to join the M23 ranks in Goma.

That seemed to be more of a comic aside than a serious attempt by M23 to recruit. 

The M23 chairman Bertrand Bisiimwa has in the past threatened that his rebel outfit will not hesitate to recapture the strategic provincial town of Goma like they did in November 2012 should the Kinshasa government forces continue with plans to attack their positions.

I don't think that they can prevail at this time against the forces that are gathering against them.