Ceasefire verification mission deploys to eastern DR Congo
France 24
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France 24
Original Source
An international verification mission deployed Monday to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to monitor a fragile ceasefire between the Congolese army and the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group, as both sides exchange accusations of abuses. The deployment follows peace agreements brokered by the United States and Qatar aimed at ending decades of conflict in the mineral-rich region.
A mission to verify a fragile ceasefire between the Congolese army and Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 armed group was deployed Monday to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as the two sides traded accusations of abuses.
The eastern DRC has been riven by decades of conflict with multiple armed groups fighting over its mineral-rich territory, including the M23, which seized further swaths of the region last year.
Peace efforts led by Qatar and the United States last year sought to end the crisis, leading to the signing of two separate accords.
Watch moreUS cracks down on mineral trafficking in DR Congo with new sanctions
The Congolese government and the AFC/M23 signed a commitment towards a ceasefire in Doha in July 2025, while the DRC and Rwanda formalised a US-brokered peace deal in December in Washington.
However, fighting has continued on the ground.
On Sunday, the Swiss government announced in a statement that the DRC and AFC/M23 had agreed on a roadmap for peace talks, following negotiations held in Switzerland.
It also mentioned the upcoming deployment on the ground of a regional body to verify violations of the ceasefire to which the parties have committed.
Read moreDR Congo, AFC/M23 group agree on roadmap for peace negotiations after Swiss talks
The mechanism for verfiying ceasefire violations comprises Congolese government and AFC/M23 representatives as well as observers from member countries of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).
The mission, the first of its kind, was deployed on Monday by UN helicopters to Minembwe in South Kivu province, which has seen intense clashes in recent months, according to UN and government sources.
The mission will also travel to the lakeside town of Uvira, from where the AFC/M23 withdrew in January, as well as to the territory of Kalehe, where fighting has been reported in recent weeks, South Kivu governor Jean-Jacques Purusi told AFP.
Neither the DRC nor AFC/M23 authorities have yet reacted to the announcement of the mission.
Alleged abuses
Several international mediation efforts have failed to silence the guns in the eastern DRC, where a myriad of armed groups are active.
In April, the DRC and AFC/M23 agreed to facilitate humanitarian aid and release prisoners following talks in Switzerland.
An initial group of prisoners was handed over to the M23 by the Congolese government earlier this month.
New talks were held behind closed doors from August 17 to August 21 which included representatives from the United States, Qatar, Switzerland, the African Union Commission and Togo, serving as African Union mediator.
The two sides said they had "agreed on the importance of a standardised method for reporting allegations of ceasefire violations", according to the Swiss government statement on Sunday.
They also agreed to establish a "mechanism tasked with reviewing progress and addressing challenges in implementation of obligations and commitments under the Doha Framework Agreement", it added.
The DRC in a statement on Monday condemned alleged "crimes and serious human rights violations" committed by the M23 in the territories under its control and accused the group of killing "more than 300 people" in June and July.
Meanwhile, an AFC/M23 spokesperson on X accused government forces of having launched a "deadly attack" with artillery on a village near Minembwe.
Both sides have regularly accused the other of alleged abuses and ceasefire violations, often unverifiable by independent parties.
The area surrounding Minembwe, which has been fiercely contested for months, has been particularly difficult for international organisations to access.
Reports by NGOs and UN experts have said the AFC/M23 has also silenced dissenting voices, including journalists and human rights activists in areas under its control.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
The eastern DRC has been riven by decades of conflict with multiple armed groups fighting over its mineral-rich territory, including the M23, which seized further swaths of the region last year.
Peace efforts led by Qatar and the United States last year sought to end the crisis, leading to the signing of two separate accords.
Watch moreUS cracks down on mineral trafficking in DR Congo with new sanctions
The Congolese government and the AFC/M23 signed a commitment towards a ceasefire in Doha in July 2025, while the DRC and Rwanda formalised a US-brokered peace deal in December in Washington.
However, fighting has continued on the ground.
On Sunday, the Swiss government announced in a statement that the DRC and AFC/M23 had agreed on a roadmap for peace talks, following negotiations held in Switzerland.
It also mentioned the upcoming deployment on the ground of a regional body to verify violations of the ceasefire to which the parties have committed.
Read moreDR Congo, AFC/M23 group agree on roadmap for peace negotiations after Swiss talks
The mechanism for verfiying ceasefire violations comprises Congolese government and AFC/M23 representatives as well as observers from member countries of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).
The mission, the first of its kind, was deployed on Monday by UN helicopters to Minembwe in South Kivu province, which has seen intense clashes in recent months, according to UN and government sources.
The mission will also travel to the lakeside town of Uvira, from where the AFC/M23 withdrew in January, as well as to the territory of Kalehe, where fighting has been reported in recent weeks, South Kivu governor Jean-Jacques Purusi told AFP.
Neither the DRC nor AFC/M23 authorities have yet reacted to the announcement of the mission.
Alleged abuses
Several international mediation efforts have failed to silence the guns in the eastern DRC, where a myriad of armed groups are active.
In April, the DRC and AFC/M23 agreed to facilitate humanitarian aid and release prisoners following talks in Switzerland.
An initial group of prisoners was handed over to the M23 by the Congolese government earlier this month.
New talks were held behind closed doors from August 17 to August 21 which included representatives from the United States, Qatar, Switzerland, the African Union Commission and Togo, serving as African Union mediator.
The two sides said they had "agreed on the importance of a standardised method for reporting allegations of ceasefire violations", according to the Swiss government statement on Sunday.
They also agreed to establish a "mechanism tasked with reviewing progress and addressing challenges in implementation of obligations and commitments under the Doha Framework Agreement", it added.
The DRC in a statement on Monday condemned alleged "crimes and serious human rights violations" committed by the M23 in the territories under its control and accused the group of killing "more than 300 people" in June and July.
Meanwhile, an AFC/M23 spokesperson on X accused government forces of having launched a "deadly attack" with artillery on a village near Minembwe.
Both sides have regularly accused the other of alleged abuses and ceasefire violations, often unverifiable by independent parties.
The area surrounding Minembwe, which has been fiercely contested for months, has been particularly difficult for international organisations to access.
Reports by NGOs and UN experts have said the AFC/M23 has also silenced dissenting voices, including journalists and human rights activists in areas under its control.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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Source: France 24
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