M23, a rebel group backed by Rwanda, announced that they captured the city of Goma on Monday. The capture of the city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is a major victory for the group, and is seen as one of the conflict’s most significant escalations in years. The M23 militia had briefly occupied Goma in 2012 before being defeated. Now, the group aims to exploit the region’s valuable rare minerals and maintain a presence in the region long-term. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that he and President Donald Trump “agreed on the importance” of restarting talks between Rwanda and Congo. 

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