Numerous young people have volunteered to join the front lines of the conflict against the M23 rebels in response to President Felix Tshisekedi’s appeal.
The mobilization occurs as a conflict between rebels and government forces in the east escalates.
On Monday, photos of the volunteers sitting in a plane headed for a training facility surfaced online. After a number of successful attacks, the M23 rebels are now in charge of huge areas of terrain close to the province capital, Goma. The M23, a group established ten years ago, asserts that it stands up for the rights of ethnic Tutsis living in DR Congo against Hutu militias.
The volunteers who had offered to join the assault against the insurgents were in good spirits. Many people were recruited throughout the region of North Kivu. The amount of time the volunteers will need to complete their training before being sent to the front lines is unknown. Before going to the airport, the volunteers marched through Goma’s streets.
