The M23, an armed group supported by Rwanda, declared a humanitarian “ceasefire” beginning Tuesday in the volatile eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, just days ahead of a planned crisis meeting between Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
Last week, M23 forces and Rwandan troops took control of Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, a region rich in minerals that has suffered from conflict for over three decades. While fighting has paused in Goma, clashes have spread to neighbouring South Kivu, sparking concerns that M23 might advance toward its capital, Bukavu.
A political-military coalition known as the Alliance Fleuve Congo, which includes M23, announced on Monday evening that it would implement a ceasefire starting the following day "for humanitarian reasons." They emphasized that they had "no intention of taking control of Bukavu or other localities," despite M23’s earlier declaration that it aimed to "continue the march" toward the Congolese capital, Kinshasa.
Despite the announcement, peace in the region remains uncertain, as numerous ceasefires and truces have been declared during the past three years, only to be repeatedly broken.
On Monday, the Kenyan presidency confirmed that Tshisekedi and Kagame would attend an extraordinary summit of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Saturday. Amid growing fears of a broader regional conflict, the 16 member states of SADC had called for this joint summit with the EAC, which includes Rwanda.
A local source from Bukavu told AFP that the city was "calm for the moment," but reports were suggesting that the M23 was "reorganizing with troop reinforcements and weapons," potentially preparing for further fighting now that hostilities in Goma have subsided.
In South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the DRC despite domestic calls for the withdrawal of South African troops following the deaths of 14 soldiers. Most of these soldiers were part of a contingent sent to eastern DRC in 2023 by SADC.
Ramaphosa stressed that a ceasefire was essential for peace talks, which should involve all parties to the conflict, including state and non-state actors, both Congolese and foreign. He reiterated that diplomacy is the most sustainable route to lasting peace for the DRC.
Amid ongoing tensions between South Africa and Rwanda, Rwandan government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo responded sharply to Ramaphosa's statement, accusing him of supporting Tshisekedi’s government in its war against its people. Kagame has similarly argued that South African troops have no place in eastern DRC and are acting as "belligerents" to help the DRC government fight its citizens.
A UN expert report from last year alleged that Rwanda had up to 4,000 troops in the DRC, seeking to profit from the region's mineral resources and that Rwanda effectively controls the M23. Eastern DRC is home to valuable deposits of coltan, gold, and other minerals crucial for the production of phones and laptops.
While Rwanda has denied direct military involvement with M23, it accuses the DRC of supporting the FDLR, a rebel group formed by ethnic Hutus responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide against Tutsis.
South Africa leads the SADC force, which includes approximately 1,300 troops, with contributions from Malawi and Tanzania.
Meanwhile, the United States announced on Monday that it was further reducing its embassy staff in Kinshasa.
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