Link to article: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/armed-men-seize-congo-villages-near-uganda-rwanda-border-2021-11-08/
Around 11 PM on Sunday November 7, gunmen stormed and captured at least two villages simultaneously in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo near the border with Rwanda and Uganda. Lieutenant Colonel Muhindo Luanzo blamed gunmen from M23, a rebel group that captured large amounts of territory in 2012 and 2013. The two captured villages, Tshanza and Runyoni, were the last temporary fortifications of M23 before they were forced into Uganda and Rwanda in 2013 by Congolese and UN forces. Luanzo has informed Reuters that his troops are now conducting counter-attacks after identifying the enemy coming from Rwanda. UN investigators have accused Rwanda and Uganda of supporting M23, which both countries deny. The battles on Sunday night have apparently forced residents out of their homes and into neighboring Uganda, which is experiencing an influx of refugees from the DRC. The same night, the US issued a security alert to warn of a potential attack on Goma, the provincial capital located around 31 miles southwest of the two villages. All major streets were later filled with soldiers.
Given the unstable nature of the eastern half of the DRC, it is not surprising that this has happened. However, it is still a significant occurrence considering the two captured villages were the ones last held by M23. This indicates that they may be planning to advance back into the DRC in an attempt to seize large swathes of territory yet again, which would be bad news for the already weak DRC. More so, considering the likelihood that Rwanda is backing the rebel group, this may cause bad tensions between the two countries which may only exacerbate current and future issues, as well as a similar situation if Uganda is involved too. Since the UN is opposed to M23 though, it is unlikely that either country would ever admit involvement out of fear of ostracization within the international community. Hopefully the UN will continue helping defend villages like this, and maybe finally stabilize the war-torn eastern part of the DRC through these efforts. It is also interesting that the US had intelligence related to a potential attack on Goma, and shared it. This indicates that the US also favors the DRC and would further deter hostility from Rwanda and Uganda.
This predicament falls under the category of international security since an invasion into the DRC would only be allowed to happen because of a lack of security/defense. Multiple states are involved: DRC, Rwanda, Uganda, and the US. The IGO of the UN is also involved, as well as the non-state actors (rebel/terrorist group) of M23. The situation also has many ties to realist theory, with a major one being the distrust of Rwanda and Uganda over their involvement with M23. Additionally, the anarchical state of the world is clearly displayed by M23 capturing these villages, and though M23 is not a state, it is still pursuing its rational self-interest through the use of its offensive capabilities.