Presidents of DR Congo, Rwanda agree on immediate ceasefire
An agreement for an instant and unconditional ceasefire in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been reached, following talks involving DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Thani, according to the Congolese presidential administration.
The leaders agreed to the ceasefire as the first step toward establishing long-term peace in the region, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
"The leaders agreed to an instant and unconditional ceasefire, which is the first step towards laying the groundwork for long-term peace in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo," the document states.
"DR Congo president and his Rwandan counterpart agreed to continue consultations in order to achieve a lasting settlement that will be aimed at restoring the territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ensuring stability in the region, and putting an end to the brutal violence being committed by the March 23 Movement in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu," the statement reads.
The March 23 (M23) rebel movement was created in 2012 by defectors from the Congolese army. Rebel fighters, most of them ethnic Tutsis, resumed military operations in eastern DR Congo in January 2021, capturing over 100 towns and villages, including the capitals of both provinces. The DR Congo authorities accuse Rwanda of directly supporting the M23 rebels.
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