Since the end of 2021, eastern DRCongo has been the scene of the resurgence of activities by the M23 (March 23 Movement), a Kigali-backed rebellion that controls vast swathes of DRCongo territory following fighting against the Democratic-Congolese armed forces and the militias linked to Kinshasa.
The ceasefire between DRCongo and Rwanda, mediated by Angola following a mandate received from the African Union, stabilized the front line on August 4, but the M23 returned to the offensive in October, in the eastern province of North Kivu.
This Tuesday, representatives from the three countries met in Goma, capital of the eastern province of North Kivu, very close to the border between DRCongo and Rwanda.
The official objective of the meeting was to name the Verification and Monitoring Mechanism for compliance with the ceasefire, led by Angola and including representatives from DRCongo and Rwanda.
This Mechanism has a tripartite composition, with a total of 24 experts, including 18 Angolans, three Democratic-Congolese and an equal number of Rwandans.
"We all insist on the need to respect the ceasefire," Foreign Minister Tete António told the press at the end of the meeting, held behind closed doors.
DRCongo's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, did not make public statements, but, in a note sent to the press before the meeting, pointed out a "certain contradiction" between "Rwanda's public discourse and its actions on the ground, namely the taking of certain cities".
However, he stated that the ceasefire was "widely respected".
Since October 20, the M23 has taken over several cities in North Kivu province, at the cost of sometimes violent clashes with pro-Kinshasa militias and government armed forces.
In a statement released on October 22, Angola classified the offensive as a "flagrant violation" of the ceasefire.
On Rwanda's side, its head of diplomacy, Olivier Nduhungirehe, reiterated that his country remains committed to the peace process.
On Sunday, the M23 attacked from a new route and temporarily took control of a town on the banks of Lake Edward, on the border between DRCongo and Uganda.
