Eastern DRC Peace Efforts Continue As 38 M23 Fighters Turn Over To The Congolese Army
Excerpt: As peace negotiations led by Qatar gain momentum, 38 M23 rebels in eastern Congo have surrendered, including two officers.
On Monday, military officials in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) acknowledged that over 40 members of the M23 rebel organization had turned themselves in to the Congolese army.
Among the combatants were two officers who surrendered in the districts of South Kivu, Kalehe, and North Kivu. When M23 took control of the cities of Goma and Bukavu earlier this year, authorities stated a large number of them were citizens, soldiers, and police officers who had been abducted and forced into service.
An army officer applauded the action and encouraged other rebels to do the same. A week prior, the DRC government and M23 had decided to create an oversight committee for a possible long-term truce. Signed in Doha, the agreement, which was negotiated by Qatar, expands on a July declaration that sought to restore state control in eastern Congo.
There are more than 100 armed groups fighting for control of the mineral-rich area, with the Rwanda-backed M23 still holding the most sway. The United Nations has called the current conflict “one of the most protracted, complex, and serious humanitarian crises on Earth,” with over 7 million people displaced.
