Highlights: DRC: the use of more sophisticated weapons and air assets by the M23 armed group and Rwanda is worrying. The introduction of increasingly sophisticated weapons is giving rise to concerns concerns in the DRC and the United Nations. Unlike other fronts, the operational zones where M23 fighters and the Rwandan soldiers are located are distinguished by the presence of a high-tech military arsenal. The M23 has an impressive arsenal, as highlighted by UN sources and the populations still present in the areas affected by the conflict.

The introduction of increasingly sophisticated weapons, as well as the deployment of air assets by the armed group March 23 Movement (M23) and the Rwanda Defense Forces (DRC) on the territory of…

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DRC: the use of more sophisticated weapons and air assets by the M23 armed group and Rwanda is worrying

The introduction of increasingly sophisticated weapons, as well as the deployment of air assets by the March 23 Movement (M23) armed group and the Rwanda Defense Forces (DRC) on the territory of the Democratic Republic of Congo, are giving rise to concerns concerns in the DRC and the United Nations.

[File image] M23 rebels loading a van in Kibumba, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, December 23, 2022. AP - Moses Sawasawa

By: Patient Ligodi Follow

From our correspondent in Kinshasa,

An atmosphere charged with emotion reigns this Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at Waterkloof Air Base as the remains of Captain Simon Mkhulu Bobe and Corporal Irven Thabang Semono have just been repatriated.

These two South African army soldiers, deployed as part of the SADC Military Force in Eastern DRC

(

SAMIDRC), lost their lives on February 14.

Their base, located in Mubambiro, in Masisi territory in the province of North Kivu, was hit by a mortar shell.

The South African army does not directly point the finger at neighboring Rwanda or the armed group

M23

, it nevertheless announces the opening of an investigation.

For the Congolese government, there is no doubt that this was an attack perpetrated by the Rwandan army.

Also read Eastern DRC: two South African soldiers killed on mission

It must be said that

Rwanda does not tolerate the presence of this force

deployed by the Southern African Organization (SADC) in the east of the DRC.

Two days before the death of the two South African soldiers, Kigali had openly expressed its opposition to the support of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) for the Southern Africa Force.

Congolese army sources base their accusations against Rwanda in particular on the quality of weapons available to the M23 and the Rwandan army.

Unlike other fronts, the operational zones where the M23 fighters and the Rwandan soldiers are located are distinguished by the presence of a high-tech military arsenal.

Impressive military arsenal for the benefit of the M23

The M23 has an impressive arsenal, as highlighted by UN sources and the populations still present in the areas affected by the conflict.

This includes a variety of weapons such as assault rifles, heavy and light machine guns, different types of rocket launchers, rockets, grenade launchers, recoilless cannons, mortar shells, equipment night vision, and many more.

The movement's equipment has been considerably strengthened in recent months, as confirmed by the new nature of this equipment, which cannot come from old M23 stocks dating from 2012 and 2013, indicates a UN note.

Recent weapons include 40mm anti-personnel grenades produced in 2021. UN experts also report new weapons in the DRC, such as Galil (Israeli) and AK-103 (Russian) assault rifles. ), observed by these experts for the first time on Congolese territory on March 3, 2023 in a mixed M23 and RDF camp, in Mushaki.

On the ground, evidence of the use of the 120-millimeter guided mortar is particularly evident.

Unlike conventional mortars, guided mortars are equipped with guidance systems allowing precise control of the trajectory of the shell towards its target.

This formidable weapon is capable of hitting specific objectives, such as fortified enemy positions or armored vehicles.

Equipped with laser measuring elements and precise strike capability, it has high lethality, according to a military expert.

According to UN sources, this weapon had never been spotted on Congolese territory nor in the arsenal of the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC).

Also read: Fighting in eastern DRC: why control of the town of Sake is strategic

How can we establish the link with the Rwandan army and/or with the M23?

By examining the traces left on the ground, sources present in the theater of operations respond.

For example, on February 27, 2023, north of Sake, a FARDC T54 tank was hit by a mortar attack.

Intense fighting, involving the presence and operations of the RDF and M23, was documented in this region at that time.

Another case concerns an unexploded 120mm guided mortar shell, recovered by peacekeepers in Murambi, near Mushaki, in June 2023. A presence of the Rwandan army had been reported in this area at that time.

Furthermore, on October 24, 2023, the remains of a 120mm guided mortar were found 15 meters from the FARDC camp in Kanyamahoro.

This site was bombed from the hills controlled by the RDF military the same day, according to Congolese and UN sources.

Presence of anti-aircraft systems

Air assets also play a determining role in this conflict, as illustrated by the incident of January 24, 2023. That day, a Congolese fighter plane in flight was targeted from Rwandan territory.

Despite a burning wing, the Sukhoi-25 managed to land.

Kigali justified this shooting by accusing the illegal overflight of its territory by the Congolese plane.

On February 18, 2024, the tension rises a notch.

Rwanda officially announces the deployment of means to ensure the total air defense of its territory, in response to the introduction of Chinese CH-4 attack drones by the DRC in operational zones.

Faced with rising tension, on February 20, Nicolas de Rivière, France's permanent representative to the United Nations, spoke at a meeting of the UN Security Council.

He firmly affirms that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC must be respected and denounces the deployment of anti-aircraft systems incompatible with the capabilities of a simple armed group.

Read alsoThe DRC welcomes the French position on the M23, but calls for sanctions against Rwanda

During this same meeting, Ambassador Robert Wood, one of the American representatives to the United Nations, went even further: he asked Rwanda to stop its support for the M23 and to immediately withdraw its forces from Congolese territory, as well as its system of surface-to-air missile having intentionally targeted, according to its sources, MONUSCO air assets.

It also emphasizes that Rwanda's attitude, as a major contributor to UN peacekeeping missions, is deeply worrying and deserves serious assessment by the international community.

This mobilization of more sophisticated military assets in an area where several armies are present, notably the DRC, Rwanda and Burundi, as well as MONUSCO and SADC contingents, raises major concerns and fuels fears of a more serious escalation. seriousness of the conflict.

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DRC: the use of more sophisticated weapons and air assets by the M23 armed group and Rwanda is worrying

DRC: the use of more sophisticated weapons and air assets by the M23 armed group and Rwanda is worrying

Impressive military arsenal for the benefit of the M23

Presence of anti-aircraft systems

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