In their agreement, both sides commit themselves to a “permanent ceasefire”. They also wanted to do without “hate propaganda” and attempts to “use violence to take new positions”. They also agreed to implement the conditions of the agreement by July 29 at the latest and to accept negotiations on a more comprehensive agreement by August 8th.
The agreement made on Saturday also includes a timetable for the restoration of state authority in the east of the DR Congo. Both sides said that the new agreement was in line with the Washington Agreement, which the Dr Kongo had signed with Rwanda at the end of June.
The M23 had not been there in the peace talks between the DR Congo and Rwanda in the US capital and had existed at a separate own agreement with the government in Kinshasa. Since signing in Washington, however, hope for more stability in the entire region has grew. US President Donald Trump, whose country had conveyed the Washington Agreement, spoke of a “new chapter of hope”.
The African Union had expressed hope for “reconciliation” in the east of the continent in June. After the ceasefire agreement on Saturday, the State Association now stated that it was a “milestone in the ongoing efforts to achieve permanent peace, security and stability”.
The government spokesman for DR Congo, Patrick Muyaya, emphasized that the agreement with the M23 takes into account the “red lines” of his government. This includes the “non -negotiable withdrawal of the M23 from the occupied areas, followed by the restoration of our institutions”, including the armed forces. Muyaya also said that the desired comprehensive peace agreement would follow “in the coming days”.
However, there are still questions about an expected ancillary agreement on economic aspects – especially after Trump emphasized that the United States had secured the prospect of “many” Congolese mineral resources through the mediation in the conflict.
Massad Boulos, also present in the signing in Doha, described the restoration of Kinshasa’s control over the east of the DR Congo as “one of the most important clauses” of the new agreement. However, it was clear that there were “no patent solutions” to terminate the conflict.
The M23 militia supported by Rwanda had large areas in the east of the DR Congo in January and February, including the provincial capitals Goma and Bukavu. Thousands of people were killed during the lightning offensive of the M23. In the ground treasures, Eastern Congo has been sufficient for three decades of bloody conflicts. With the advancement of the M23 fighters, the situation had tightened again.
KAS/DJA
