page_title: Rutshuru Territory
section_title: Security problems
hierarchical_section_title: Rutshuru Territory / Security problems
caption_attribution_description: In the territory of Rutshuru is made up of three villages; Rushevo, Rushege and Katsuba. It has primary and secondary schools and about a couple of heath centres. On November 14th fighting started between rebels of Laurent Nakunda’s 83rd Brigade and the 9th Brigade of the national army. The rebels stayed above the main village in Rushege and the government troops were in the main village of Rushevo. The villagers described the Nkunda’s troops as being the better disciplined towards the civilian population. The people fled to Kalingera to avoid the fighting. Since January they have been slowly returning, the majority have now returned although there are still two and a half thousand displaced still in Kalingera. They returned to find the secondary school, main health centre and many houses looted.
context_page_description: Rutshuru Territory is a territory in the North Kivu province of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, with headquarters is the town of Rutshuru.
  The territory is mountainous, including a large portion of the Virunga National Park, famous for its mountain gorillas.
  The people of the territory are extremely poor. Since 1992 they have suffered from ongoing violent conflict between different rebel groups and government troops. At its peak in November 2008 an estimated 250,000 people were made homeless. The violence has caused health issues, including the need for treatment after rape, which is common. Children have stayed away from those schools that are open for fear of being kidnapped by armed groups and made to fight.
context_section_description: Conflict has afflicted Rutshuru territory since inter-ethnic fighting broke out in 1992-1993. 
  The Rwandan Civil War (1990-1993) followed by the Rwandan genocide of 1994 caused many Hutu refugees to enter the region, while the Congolese Tutsi population left for Rwanda.
  This led to the First Congo War (1996-1997), followed by the Second Congo War (1998-2003). 
  In these wars Rwanda took an active role in supporting rebels opposed to the government, including supplying troops. Rwanda accused the DRC government of supporting the Interahamwe militia, Hutus who had been involved in the genocide. 
  An interlude of peace began in 2002.
  In 2005 violence flared up again when Laurent Nkunda, an officer in the RCD-Goma rebel group, rejected the authority of the government and retreated with some of the RCD-Goma troops to the Masisi forests to the west.
  This was the start of the long-running Kivu conflict.
  A warrant for Nkunda's arrest on charges of war crimes was issued in September 2005.
  In January 2006 his forces attacked and occupied several towns in Rutshuru Territory including Tongo, Bunagana and Rutshuru. The troops looted the towns and raped or killed civilians who were unable to escape.
  In October and November 2008 there was severe conflict in the region between government troops and rebels led by Laurent Nkunda, with an estimated 250,000 people made homeless.
  Nkunda claimed his CNDP forces were protecting his Tutsi community from attacks by Hutu rebels of the FDLR who fled to the DRC after the Rwandan Genocide.
  Throughout 2010 there were repeated security incidents.
  As of September 2010, camps dotted throughout Rutshuru territory held 77,000 internally displaced people.
  On 2 June 2011 the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) launched Operation "Restore Hope" in Rutshuru territory, a concerted drive to suppress violence through 24-hour patrols.
  As of November 2012, the Congolese government no longer controls the town of Rutshuru. It is a stronghold of the rebel, or self-styled 'revolutionary' M23 Movement.
caption: Tongo, scene of fighting in November 2006 between Laurent Nakunda’'s rebels and national army soldiers. The villagers fled. On their return they found the secondary school, main health centre and many houses looted
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