DRC government, M23 rebels commit to protect civilians, aid deliveries

After talks in Switzerland, the two sides also made progress on a protocol for ceasefire oversight.The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and rival M23 rebels have agreed to ease aid deliveries and release prisoners, as mediators push to resolve a years-long conflict that has persisted despite multiple peace deals.The two sides announced the measures in a joint statement shared by the US Department of State on Saturday, following five days of talks in Switzerland.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3At least 43 people killed in ADF attack in northeast DR Congo, army sayslist 2 of 3Celebrations erupt as DR Congo ends over 50-year World Cup waitlist 3 of 3Republic of Congo votes in polls that could extend Nguesso’s 42-year ruleend of list“The parties agreed to refrain from any action that would undermine the principled delivery of humanitarian assistance within the territories impacted by the conflict,” said the statement.Both sides also pledged not to target civilians and to facilitate medical care for the wounded and sick as they noted progress on a protocol for humanitarian access and judicial protections.They agreed to release prisoners within 10 days as part of efforts “to continue building confidence”.In addition, the parties signed a memorandum of understanding for a ceasefire monitoring mechanism that will “begin conducting surveillance, monitoring, verification, and reporting on the implementation of the permanent ceasefire between the parties”.Since 2021, the M23, backed by Rwanda, has seized territory in eastern DRC, a region ravaged by more than 30 years of conflict.While the two sides signed a United States-brokered peace agreement in December, fighting has continued, most recently reaching the highland areas of South Kivu, according to media reports.In a statement last week, Human Rights Watch accused the parties of blocking aid deliveries and stopping civilians from fleeing the South Kivu highlands.