In Congo, U.N. Forces Take on Combat Role

International involvement in eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo appears to be escalating, with a U.N. brigade committing recently to take part in combat operations against the M23 rebel group in North Kivu province. The escalation is, in part, a response to M23's shelling of Goma, the province's capital, on Aug. 22. Since then, clashes involving U.N. troops have erupted around several villages north of the city, where the Congolese military and the rebels have been fighting for months.

Congolese forces are attempting to push M23 away from Goma, while the rebels are trying to leverage their ability to strike the city to force negotiations with Kinshasa. The intensifying crisis has renewed accusations from the Congolese government that Rwanda is supporting the rebels and has prompted fears that M23 may be in position to seize the city, as it did briefly in late 2012. However, the increased involvement of U.N. forces will temper outside support for M23 and bolster the capabilities of the Congolese military, thus considerably eroding the threat posed by the rebel group and undermining its goals.