Africa · 24 August, 2026 · 2 min read
Ceasefire Verification Mission Deploys To Eastern Democratic Republic Of Congo Between Congolese Army And AFC/M23
Ceasefire verification mission deployed to eastern DR Congo to monitor DRC–M23 truce. Mission aims to track progress of Qatar-mediated truce despite ongoing clashes.
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Ceasefire verification begins
A ceasefire verification mission was deployed Monday to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to verify a fragile ceasefire between the Congolese army and the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 armed group as the two sides traded accusations of abuses.
“A mission to verify a fragile ceasefire between the Congolese army and Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 armed group was deployed Monday”
The mission, described as the first of its kind, comprises Congolese government and AFC/M23 representatives as well as observers from member countries of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).
UN helicopters deployed the mission on Monday to Minembwe in South Kivu province, and it is set to travel to Uvira, from where the AFC/M23 withdrew in January, and to the territory of Kalehe, where fighting has been reported in recent weeks.
The Swiss government announced on Sunday that the DRC and AFC/M23 agreed on a roadmap for peace talks after negotiations held in Switzerland, and it said a regional body would be deployed on the ground to verify violations of the ceasefire to which the parties have committed.
Accusations and competing narratives
The deployment comes as the DRC and M23 continue to accuse each other of abuses and ceasefire violations that are often unverifiable by independent parties, with fighting continuing on the ground despite peace efforts led by Qatar and the United States.
In a statement on Monday, the DRC condemned alleged "crimes and serious human rights violations" committed by the M23 in territories under its control and accused the group of killing "more than 300 people" in June and July.
An M23 spokesperson on X countered that government forces had launched a "deadly attack" with artillery on a village near Minembwe, maintaining the dispute over who is responsible for attacks in the contested area.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame, speaking in Kigali on Monday, said previous agreements had failed because they did not tackle the "root cause" of the conflict, namely the continued presence in eastern DRC of Hutu militants linked to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
What is at stake next
The roadmap being built into the ceasefire process includes a mechanism to monitor ceasefire violations and sets timelines for negotiations under a US-brokered peace framework signed in 2025, even as disagreements remain over sanctions, detainees and the timing of political reforms.
“pursue negotiations towards comprehensive peace and conflict resolution”
A joint statement after five days of talks in Switzerland said the parties pledged to "pursue negotiations towards comprehensive peace and conflict resolution" and agreed to establish a mechanism tasked with reviewing progress and addressing challenges in implementation of obligations and commitments under the Doha Framework Agreement.
The first verification mission is due to take place on Monday in Minembwe, an area of South Kivu affected by fighting, with the secretariat for the ceasefire monitoring mechanism established.
For civilians, the DW report frames the test of the roadmap as whether ordinary Congolese people become safer and better off, and it quotes conflict analyst Clifton Chifuwe saying, "Signing it is easier than implementing it on the ground," while noting the region’s displacement and mistrust between DR Congo and Rwanda.