RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from France 24 — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 2 sources
A ceasefire verification mission comprised of representatives from DR Congo's government, the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebel group, and observers from the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) member nations arrived in South Kivu on Monday. The deployment came a day after the DRC and AFC/M23 agreed on a Switzerland-mediated roadmap for peace talks.
By: FRANCE 24 A mission to verify a fragile ceasefire between the Congolese army and Rwanda -backed AFC/ M23 armed group was deployed Monday to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as the two sides traded accusations of abuses.
The eastern DRC has been riven by decades of conflict with multiple armed groups fighting over its mineral-rich territory , including the M23, which seized further swaths of the region last year.
Peace efforts led by Qatar and the United States last year sought to end the crisis, leading to the signing of two separate accords.
Watch more US cracks down on mineral trafficking in DR Congo with new sanctions
The Congolese government and the AFC/M23 signed a commitment towards a ceasefire in Doha in July 2025 , while the DRC and Rwanda formalised a US-brokered peace deal in December in Washington.
However, fighting has continued on the ground.
On Sunday, the Swiss government announced in a statement that the DRC and AFC/M23 had agreed on a roadmap for peace talks, following negotiations held in Switzerland .
It also mentioned the upcoming deployment on the ground of a regional body to verify violations of the ceasefire to which the parties have committed.
The mechanism for verfiying ceasefire violations comprises Congolese government and AFC/M23 representatives as well as observers from member countries of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).
The mission, the first of its kind, was deployed on Monday by UN helicopters to Minembwe in South Kivu province, which has seen intense clashes in recent months, according to UN and government sources.
The mission will also travel to the lakeside town of Uvira, from where the AFC/M23 withdrew in January, as well as to the territory of Kalehe, where fighting has been reported in recent weeks, South Kivu governor Jean-Jacques Purusi told AFP.
Neither the DRC nor AFC/M23 authorities have yet reacted to the announcement of the mission.
Several international mediation efforts have failed to silence the guns in the eastern DRC, where a myriad of armed groups are active.
In April, the DRC and AFC/M23 agreed to facilitate humanitarian aid and release prisoners following talks in Switzerland.
An initial group of prisoners was handed over to the M23 by the Congolese government earlier this month.
New talks were held behind closed doors from August 17 to August 21 which included representatives from the United States, Qatar, Switzerland, the African Union Commission and Togo , serving as African Union mediator.
The two sides said they had "agreed on the importance of a standardised method for reporting allegations of ceasefire violations", according to the Swiss government statement on Sunday.
They also agreed to establish a "mechanism tasked with reviewing progress and addressing challenges in implementation of obligations and commitments under the Doha Framework Agreement", it added.
The DRC in a statement on Monday condemned alleged "crimes and serious human rights violations" committed by the M23 in the territories under its control and accused the group of killing "more than 300 people" in June and July.
Meanwhile, an AFC/M23 spokesperson on X accused government forces of having launched a "deadly attack" with artillery on a village near Minembwe.
Both sides have regularly accused the other of alleged abuses and ceasefire violations, often unverifiable by independent parties.
The area surrounding Minembwe, which has been fiercely contested for months, has been particularly difficult for international organisations to access.
Reports by NGOs and UN experts have said the AFC/M23 has also silenced dissenting voices, including journalists and human rights activists in areas under its control.
Page not found The content you requested does not exist or is not available anymore.
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.