M23 is a Congolese rebel group allegedly backed by Rwanda and active in Eastern Congo. The M23 stands for the Movement of 23rd of March, named after the peace accords they signed with the government of Congo in 2009.M23 originated from CNDP, which in turn originated from the RCD (Congolese Rally for Democracy). RCD was a rebel group that began in 1998, triggering the Second Congo War.Like RCD and CNDP, M23 is allegedly backed by Rwanda. All of these rebel groups have shared the same claim: they have asked the government to protect the Tutsi people in the DRC. Long story short, they have claimed that other tribes were conspiring against the Tutsi in Congo. This is the main reason they have the sympathy of Kagame, who is the president of Rwanda and a Tutsi himself.The claim of protecting the Tutsi people has received much criticism. Many believe it is used to justify the looting of Congo by Rwanda. Studies have shown a correlation between Rwanda’s development and instability in Congo. Rwanda’s exportation of minerals such as gold and especially coltan has exponentially increased since the conflict in Congo began in 1996. Rwanda is often viewed as a gateway used by multinational companies to launder blood minerals from Congo. Minerals from Congo are processed in Rwanda and then labeled as Rwandan products, entering the international market under Rwanda's name, while in reality, they come from Congo. This "whitening" of minerals is a lucrative business, as the USA and EU have laws that prohibit sourcing minerals from conflict zones in Congo.Although tribal dynamics cannot be completely ignored. It is not sufficient. It can be argued that the war is fueled by tribal tensions, but at its core, it is economic. This perspective is supported by Congolese Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege and many UN reports and independent researchers.