Description: The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has severed diplomatic ties with Rwanda over allegations of sponsorship of the armed conflict and the M23 rebel group. The Congolese army alongside the UN’s peacekeeping force MONUSCO have unsuccessfully tried to repel the M23 as it recently advanced to a key strategic town in the eastern parts of the country called Goma. The UN Security Council has rescheduled their meeting for next Sunday as concerns were raised about escalation to the point of an all-out war between the parties involved. The war has displaced more than 237,000 people since the beginning of this year and 6 million people have fallen victim to the violence since 1998.
Impact: The conflict between the M23 rebel group and the Congolese army has mounted to a severe level since last week. With the lack of UN support, the Congolese army is obviously incapable of countering M23 which are state – backed by Rwanda. The fight for natural resources prevalence would severely impact regional stability and possibly intensify the armed conflict to an all – out war which could have regional ramifications. The UN should bolster its presence in the country in order to prevent M23 of reinforcing their current advance. Without extended effort from the international community the conflict could further destabilize the already fragile security and humanitarian situation on the African continent.