A US-brokered peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, signed last Friday, has been cautiously welcomed by a prominent rebel coalition in eastern Congo, even as they express reservations about its scope.
The Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), a conglomerate of rebel groups and political parties including the armed M23, described the deal as “a step, albeit limited, but useful.”
However, AFC coordinator Corneille Nangaa called it an “unacceptable deception” to reduce Congo’s multifaceted crisis to merely a conflict between Kigali and Kinshasa.
He stressed that the agreement addresses only a “tiny part of the real cause of the conflict,” asserting that the AFC/M23’s “legitimate demands” can only be met within a more inclusive framework.
The peace accord, inked by the foreign ministers of both nations, aims to halt intense fighting in eastern Congo.
Congolese Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner hailed it as a diplomatic and popular victory for the Congolese people.
Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe stated the deal commits to an irreversible and verifiable end to state support for militia groups and calls for a cessation of hostilities between the two armies.
The M23’s role in the conflict remains central.
Clashes between M23 and government forces have displaced at least 500,000 and killed over 3,000 by late February, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
The UN and Western nations accuse Rwanda of supporting the rebel group, which now controls significant territory in eastern Congo, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu.
Nduhungirehe declined to comment on the AFC/M23’s statement but affirmed Rwanda’s commitment, made in the Washington Peace Agreement, to support ongoing negotiations in Doha between M23 and the DRC government.
Nangaa confirmed the AFC’s support for the Qatar-mediated Doha talks, advocating for direct discussions between their group and the Rwandan government.
He reiterated that “no military solution can resolve the Congolese crisis in the long term.”
Despite these efforts, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi has consistently refused to negotiate with M23, a stance Nangaa condemned as a “betrayal of our future generations.”
The complex layers of the conflict continue to pose significant challenges to lasting peace.
