DRC, M23 rebel group sign declaration of principles to end fighting
The signing ceremony, attended by representatives from both sides, took place in Qatar following months of Qatari mediation after talks began in April.
More To Read
- Africa’s freshwater ecosystems depend on little creatures like insects and snails: Study maps overlooked species
- Uganda reopens border posts with eastern DR Congo
- Kenya subtly endorses US-Qatar-brokered DRC peace deal, acknowledges changing regional dynamics
- M23 rebels accuse DRC of sabotaging peace efforts with military buildup, warns of retaliation
- Rwandan President Kagame reignites controversy over Tshisekedi’s rise to power
- DRC, M23 rebels to hold new round of talks in Doha - AFC official
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the M23 rebel group have signed a declaration of principles aimed at ending fighting in eastern Congo, which has persisted despite repeated calls for a ceasefire.
The signing ceremony, attended by representatives from both sides, took place in Qatar following months of Qatari mediation after talks began in April.
"Sources in both delegations have expressed frustration with the pace of negotiations and the lack of progress on confidence-building measures, including the release of M23 members held by DRC and the re-opening of banks in rebel-held territory. It was unclear on Saturday how many of these issues had been resolved," a report by Reuters stated.
The ongoing violence has triggered clashes between M23 and local militia, forcing at least 79,000 people to flee their homes in North Kivu, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, revealed during a press briefing held at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday.
In the neighbouring South Kivu, violent fighting has pitted M23 against other armed groups since the beginning of July, particularly in the territories of Walungu, Kabare, Fizi, Mwenga and Kalehe, resulting in the displacement of at least 37,000 people.
At the same time, in villages along the border between the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, attacks attributed to ADF rebels reportedly left at least 65 civilians dead and dozens of others injured. Many remain missing, and significant displacements have been recorded towards the territories of Beni and Mambasa.
Dujarric further reported that several humanitarian partners have been forced to scale back their operations, compromising access to essential services for displaced populations.
“OCHA therefore calls on the international community to take urgent measures to fill these serious funding gaps and avoid a humanitarian tragedy,” Dujarric added.
Earlier this year, M23 seized Goma, eastern Congo’s largest city, and subsequently made gains across the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu.
In March, Qatar brokered a surprise meeting between Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, during which they called for an “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire. This led to direct talks in Doha between Congo and M23. DRC had previously refused to engage in talks with M23, labelling it a terrorist group.
Top Stories Today
