Rumors circulated last week that the M23 rebel group reportedly signed an agreement with eleven other armed groups on April 21, 2013. The groups are said to include FAP-Nyatura, FDC, FPC-AP, FPD, Mai-Mai Cheka, MPA, M26, PARECO Lafontaine, PRM, URDC, and Vutura. They allegedly agreed on mutual defense - an armed attack against any one of them would be considered an attack against them all - in response to an attack by the forthcoming United Nations Foreign Intervention Brigade, or FIB.
Whether or not these rumors are true, one thing is clear: the Kivus will witness a renewed militarization and, if not carefully handled on all sides, potential resulting violence and unrest will negatively impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians.
Today, M23 said that hundreds of its commanders were undergoing special training to face an offensive by FIB, "462 unit commanders have been on a refresher course since Friday in Rumangabo," a large military base in the North Kivu province, the group's military spokesman Vianney Kazarama told AFP. The course's purpose is to "bring them up to speed on how to deal with the brigade's deployment, how to defend themselves," he said. "They are being taught how to react if the brigade hunts them down, how to gather their troops if the going gets tough and how to set up ambushes."
Whether or not these rumors are true, one thing is clear: the Kivus will witness a renewed militarization and, if not carefully handled on all sides, potential resulting violence and unrest will negatively impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians.
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