GOMA, DR Congo
The ceasefire declared in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo by the M23 rebel group on Tuesday did not hold as clashes were reported in some villages in Masisi territory, North Kivu.
This is the latest failed
ceasefire commitment.
Fighting resumed just hours
after M23 issued a press release announcing an “effective ceasefire”.
By 12pm Tuesday, the M23 had
said it had decided to stop fighting, adding that the decision was in line with
consultations between them and Angolan President João Lourenço, the mediator in
the Congolese crisis through the Luanda peace process.
M23 also said that the
ceasefire was meant to comply with the "various regional summits held in
Bujumbura, Nairobi and Addis Ababa, all aimed at finding a peaceful solution to
the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC".
Angolan President João Lourenço
had ordered the establishment of an ad hoc verification mechanism to ensure
compliance with this decision.
Mr Lourenço had urged the
rebels and the Congolese government to respect the ceasefire calls. But an
attack on a camp belonging to Burundian troops on Monday evening put a blot on
the promise to stop fighting.
In Kinshasa, President Félix
Tshisekedi had on the weekend already expressed "doubts about the
sincerity of this umpteenth ceasefire commitment". He spoke while
receiving French President Emmanuel Macron.
"We are waiting to
see," the Congolese leader said, arguing that "several ceasefire
commitments have been announced without being respected".
Sanctions warning
The French president had said
that this time "those who would not respect the ceasefire would face
sanctions".
The M23 has been calling for
talks with the government in Kinshasa. In their communiqué, the rebels say that
the ceasefire is to "pave way for direct dialogue with the government in
Kinshasa".
All the summits of the heads
of state of the East African Community have always called for a ceasefire and
the withdrawal of the rebels from the conquered areas.
But in its statement, the M23
movement did not mention any planned withdrawal from occupied areas.
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