The Government of Dr. Congo and the M23 Group on Wednesday, April 23, issued a historical statement saying that they had agreed to stop the struggles in the east of the country while working towards a permanent truce. The surprise announcement follows the conversations mediated by Qatar. The two parties said they had “agreed to work towards the conclusion of a truce” in the conflict that has seen that M23 seized the key cities in the region affected by the conflict. More than six bruises and ceasefires have been agreed and then collapsed again since 2021.
UN experts and several Western governments say M23, who revived the conflict in 2021, is supported by Rwanda. The Kigali government has denied giving military help. But an American envoy last week asked Rwanda to withdraw from the territory of Dr. Congo.
But the last statement, read in Dr. Congo National Television and published by an M23 spokesman said: “Both parties reaffirm an immediate cessation of hostilities.” They said that the “cessation of hostilities” would apply “during the duration of the conversations and until their conclusion.”
The Democratic Republic of the East of the Congo has been Rijsen for conflict for three decades and the crisis has increased again in recent months with the new advance of M23 in the cities of rubber and bukavu. The president of Dr. Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, has long rejected the direct conversations with them or their political alliance, accusing them of working for Rwanda.
Qatar created a diplomatic surprise with its mediation effort. The negotiations began this month, but no official comment has made the leg on Doha’s conversations. Qatar has signed several economic cooperation agreements with Rwanda and Dr. Congo, even to invest more than one billion dollars in a new airport near Kigali.
Ruanda has never recognized a military presence in Dr. Congo, but often highlights his border security conerns and has demanded the eradication of Hutu ethnic militias in Dr. Congo founded by Rwanda.
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