Its soldiers are underpaid and underarmed. Its ranks are riddled with factions pursuing their own interests. And successive presidents are said to have kept it weak for fear of a coup.
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s army has appeared too weak and dysfunctional to stop a militia that has swept through the eastern part of the country in recent weeks. The militia, called M23, has seized two major cities, two strategic airports and large stretches of Congolese territory.
Félix Tshisekedi, the president, tried to prepare for this moment, strengthening his military to squash the thousands of fighters roaming in the east. But that response has crumbled in the face of the M23 advance, leaving Mr. Tshisekedi increasingly isolated, his domestic support evaporating, peace talks with regional powers stalled and strong international support lacking.
M23 is backed by Rwanda, Congo’s much smaller neighbor whose troops have trained, armed and embedded with the rebels, according to the United Nations. Rwanda has acknowledged that its troops are in Congo but denied controlling M23.
“This conflict has two sides,” said Fred Bauma, the executive director of Ebuteli, a Congolese research institute. “One is Rwandan support to the M23. And the other one is internal weaknesses of the Congolese government.”
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Congo’s president said the army’s problem was that it had been infiltrated by foreigners, and blamed his predecessor for failing to address the problem.
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