DR Congo Accepts Ceasefire Principle Amid Ongoing Eastern Conflict. Kinshasa, DR Congo — The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) announced on Friday its acceptance of the principle of a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in the eastern part of the country.
The announcement, which did not specify a start date, follows a call from mediator Angola for both the Congolese government and the Rwanda — backed M23 armed group to respect a ceasefire beginning February 18.
The eastern DRC, rich in resources, has been engulfed in violence involving numerous armed groups for the past 30 years. Recent weeks have seen Angola resume its mediation efforts, culminating in a ceasefire proposal released on Wednesday night.
The M23 militia has yet to officially respond to the proposal.
The DRC’s presidency stated in a communiqué that the president had accepted the principle of a ceasefire, which includes a “strict and immediate freezing of positions.”
The government also called for an end to military reinforcement, the cessation of rotations or offensive resupplying, and the termination of all external support to armed groups operating on national territory.
The United Nations announced plans to deploy peacekeepers to the eastern DRC to enforce any ceasefire.
The region, bordering Rwanda and Burundi, has been targeted by the M23 since the anti-government group’s resurgence in 2021. Since then, several ceasefires and truces have been signed and broken, with violence escalating sharply when M23 fighters seized the North Kivu provincial capital of Goma in January last year. Peace efforts led by Qatar and the United States have recently sought to end the crisis, resulting in the signing of two separate accords.
Qatar has been mediating between the Congolese government and the M23 for several months, leading to a commitment towards a ceasefire signed in July.
In parallel, the DRC and Rwanda formalized a US — brokered peace deal in December in Washington.
The African Union, which is now steering the peace talks, appointed Togolese leader Faure Gnassingbe to lead the mediation.
He has included Angolan President Joao Lourenco in the negotiations.
A previous mediation effort led by the Angolan president at the AU’s request collapsed before a scheduled summit in Luanda. Further details are expected as the situation develops.
