Aug. 1 (EUROPA PRESS) –
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller welcomed on Wednesday the ceasefire agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda that will take place from Sunday in the east of the Congolese territory, where Kinshasa is engaged in fighting with the rebel group March 23 Movement (M23), backed by Kigali.
“The United States welcomes the ceasefire in eastern DRC announced by Angola on July 30. We applaud the Government of Angola, and in particular Angolan President and African Union peace and reconciliation advocate Joao Lourenço, for their mediation efforts,” the statement said.
Miller praised the governments of the DRC and Rwanda for their “commitment” to continue negotiations to end the conflict between the two countries, and expressed his willingness to support the implementation and monitoring of the ceasefire.
Washington concluded by calling on all parties involved in the conflict to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law and to respect human rights.
The ceasefire will take effect at midnight on 4 August and will be monitored by the ad hoc Verification Mechanism.
The M23 is a rebel group made up largely of Congolese Tutsis and operates mainly in the province. Following a conflict between the DRC and the group in 2012 and 2013, a peace agreement was signed in December between the DRC and the group. In the fighting, the Congolese army was supported by UN troops.
The group launched a new offensive in October 2022, sparking a diplomatic crisis between the DRC and Rwanda over its role in the conflict. Kigali has accused Kinshasa of supporting the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a rebel armed group founded and composed mainly of Hutus responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
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