The M23 rebels are making an attempt to retake areas lost in the war. Clashes in North Kivu have caused fears of another massive civil war. Observers have noted that external forces are active in the DRC. According to the United Nations, Rwanda has been listed as a major contributor to the M23 insurrection. Much of the conflicts stems from the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide in 1994 and the Second Congolese Civil War. The war lasted from 1998 to 2003 displacing many people. Ethnic hatreds did not dissipate, with others accusing President Paul Kagame attempting to make a larger Tutsi state. Rwanda and Burundi were in a state of civil war prior to the 1994 genocide. The Rwandan Patriotic Front continues to dominate the politics of the country, but seeks more influence in the region. The alliance with the M23 rebels might be a means of fighting the Democratic Forces for Liberation of Rwanda. The Hutu rebel group wants to challenge the Rwandan Patriotic Front. During the final years of the Joseph Mobutu regime, Hutu refugees fled to the DRC. Militias have been forming independently of governments. A Tutsi and Hutu reconciliation was never achieved. M23 emerged in 2012 claiming it wanted to protect Tutsis from other Hutu militias. The UN Peacekeeping mission cannot be declared a success. Deaths and internally displaced persons have increased. The Congolese public sees them as an occupying force. Rwanda's growing military intervention into the DRC will harm relations with Uganda. President Yoweri Museveni realizes that the DRC is a major trading partner. The security risk is that the fighting could spill over into Uganda. Congolese asylum seekers are already entering the country. Uganda has taken refugees from other countries such as South Sudan, Burundi, and Eritrea. Rwandan refugees have come to Uganda. The DRC has descended into another humanitarian crisis. President Felix Tshisekedi's options are limited. The Democratic Republic of the Congo could be on the brink of war with Rwanda.
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