Ceasefire Monitoring Mission Deployed to DR Congo
Theo Al Jazeera Staff
A monitoring mission has been deployed to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to verify a ceasefire between the national army and M23 rebels, though fighting continues despite agreements in the mineral-rich region.
A monitoring mission has been deployed to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to verify an official ceasefire between the national army and M23 rebels, a force widely reported to have backing from Rwanda.
According to sources from the United Nations and the DRC government on Monday, the delegation arrived in the region to oversee the implementation of a Qatar-mediated ceasefire agreement. However, despite the deal to end hostilities, clashes on the ground have persisted.
The UN said the delegation has been deployed to Minembwe, located in the mineral-rich South Kivu province, which has seen intense fighting in recent months.
On Sunday, the Swiss government announced that the DRC and M23 had agreed on a roadmap for peace talks following closed-door negotiations, and that a delegation would be deployed to verify compliance with the ceasefire signed in Doha, Qatar, in July 2025.
The monitoring mission includes members from the DRC government and M23, along with observers from member states of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).
Local journalists reported that the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) has provided logistical support for the deployment.
The delegation is expected to visit Uvira, where M23 withdrew in January, as well as Kalehe, an area that has seen fighting in recent weeks.
Multiple armed groups have vied for control over eastern DRC's mineral-rich provinces, including the Congo River Alliance (AFC) and M23. M23 fighters have seized vast territories and advanced toward Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, last year.
Peace efforts led by Qatar and the United States have sought to resolve the crisis, resulting in two separate agreements.
DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame — whose country is accused of backing M23 rebels — signed a "historic" peace and economic deal in December aimed at ending hostilities, five months after the two sides agreed to a ceasefire. Yet fighting on the ground has continued.
Both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire and committing abuses.
In a statement on Monday, the DRC condemned M23's alleged "crimes and serious human rights violations" in territories under the group's control, accusing the rebels of killing "over 300 people" in June and July.
M23 has rejected these accusations. The group's spokesperson said on social media platform X that government forces had carried out a "deadly attack" with artillery on a village near Minembwe.
