The Democratic Republic of Congo and the Rwanda-backed M23 group signed an agreement on Tuesday in Doha to establish a ceasefire monitoring mechanism, mediator Qatar said in a statement.
DR Congo and M23 signed “an agreement to establish a ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism, facilitated by the State of Qatar,” the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
The deal follows a ceasefire agreement that both parties inked in Doha in July aimed at leading to a permanent end to the fighting that has devastated the DRC’s mineral-rich east.
“The mechanism will oversee the implementation of the permanent ceasefire, investigate and verify reported violations, and communicate with relevant parties to prevent a resumption of hostilities,” Doha said.
It will consist of an equal number of representatives from the Congolese government and M23, who will meet at the request of one of the two parties in case of reported violations, according to a copy of the document signed in Doha, seen by AFP.
Qatar, the United States and the African Union will participate in this mechanism as observers, it added.
Qatar described the move as a “pivotal step toward enhancing confidence-building and moving forward toward a comprehensive peace agreement”.
The M23 spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka on Tuesday hailed “a significant advancement” on X.
The July deal followed an earlier, separate peace agreement between the Congolese and Rwandan governments signed in Washington.
The M23 had insisted on seeking its own ceasefire deal with Kinshasa, saying the DRC-Rwanda deal signed in June left out issues that still needed to be addressed.
Neighbouring Rwanda denies providing military backing to the M23, but UN experts say the Rwandan army played a “critical” role in the group’s offensive, including combat operations.
bur-aya/giv/csp
© Agence France-Presse
