Rwanda-backed M23 shows off new recruits as talks with DRC drag

The M23 said the recruits included Congolese soldiers who surrendered when fighting escalated this year and the local militia members who fought with them, but rights groups fear that prisoners of war and children are being enlisted against their will.

A military parade by the M23 rebel group in control of mineral-rich eastern Congo over the weekend raised concerns among some residents and experts over the future of an impending peace deal between Congo and the rebels' main backers, Rwanda.

The deal will shape the fate of the M23 rebel group in eastern Congo, which launched blitz attacks in January to take over key cities including Goma and Bukavu, while the Congolese army swiftly retreated.

UN experts said the M23 was backed by thousands of troops from neighboring Rwanda.

A central plank of the deal, which is expected to be signed in Washington in a few weeks, is the withdrawal of Rwanda’s support for the group.

The deal is also expected to stipulate the concession of territories back to the Congolese authorities.

A Qatar-led mediation between the warring sides led to both sides committing to ending the conflict, but pockets of skirmishes have recently been reported between the M23 and government-aligned groups.

Both sides have consistently accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreement.

Concerns about forced recruitments

On Sunday, the rebels paraded more than 7,000 new recruits in Goma, the regional center.

The M23 said the recruits included Congolese soldiers who surrendered when fighting escalated this year and the local militia members who fought with them.

But rights groups said they fear soldiers and young residents are being pressured into joining the rebels.

"We are still concerned about forced recruitment that we have documented since the takeover of the M23 in North Kivu and South Kivu, and those concerns as well have been highlighted by the recent report by the fact-finding mission of the UN Human Rights Council recently in September," said Christian Rumu, senior campaigner with Amnesty International.

The military show of force also sapped hope among residents in rebel-held cities who were looking forward to peace agreements to bring an end to the conflict.

"This might affect the peaceful process that both the DRC, Rwanda, and M23 are trying to reach through the Doha and Washington processes," Rumu added.

The conflict has precipitated a humanitarian crisis with at least 3,000 dead and millions displaced. A new report by the United Nations revealed “horrific atrocities” in eastern Congo over the last year committed by both Congo’s armed forces and the M23 rebels.

They include gang rape, sexual slavery, torture, killings of civilians and other crimes, the U.N. human rights office said, adding that the governments of both Congo and Rwanda bear responsibility.