The Democratic Republic of Congo contracted Romanian mercenaries to combat the advancing M23 rebels. While some of the mercenaries found themselves trapped in Goma, reports indicated many crossed into Rwanda as the situation deteriorated. The Congolese government has increasingly relied on private military companies amid claims that the M23 is backed by Rwandan forces, a contention Rwanda denies. The roots of the conflict lie in deep-seated ethnic strife, exacerbated by a struggle for control over the DR Congo's vast mineral wealth, critical for global technology supply chains.
As Rwandan-backed rebels have gained ground over the past two years, the DR Congo has turned to private military companies to try to shore up its defences.
The chaotic situation has its roots in ethnic conflict: M23 says it is defending ethnic Tutsis who fled to DR Congo after the 1994 genocide that killed around 800,000 Tutsis and others.
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