The Eastern Congo rebel coalition, which includes the M23 group, has announced a ceasefire for humanitarian reasons, yielding to international pressure to halt the escalating conflict.
At least 900 bodies have been recovered from the streets of Goma since the violence intensified. According to a statement from the Congo River Alliance, the rebel coalition, the ceasefire is set to take effect on February 4.
The alliance also clarified that it has no plans to advance on Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, following its recent takeover of Goma, the largest city in eastern Congo.
The group has engaged in intense clashes with Congo’s army and allied militias, raising fears of further escalation. The ongoing violence, part of a conflict that has raged for over three decades, has already claimed more than 900 lives and displaced millions.
The latest incursion by the M23 militia has drawn strong condemnation from the international community, with world leaders calling for an immediate ceasefire.
The Congolese government, alongside U.N. officials and Western powers, including the United States, has accused neighbouring Rwanda of exacerbating the conflict by deploying thousands of troops and heavy weaponry in support of M23.
According to UN experts, an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 Rwandan soldiers are allegedly overseeing and assisting M23 fighters in eastern DRC, surpassing the rebel group’s numbers in the region.
In a joint statement on Monday, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) nations—including the United States, Germany, Italy, Japan, France, Canada, and the United Kingdom—demanded that M23 and the Rwanda Defense Force halt their military offensives.
“We urge M23 and the Rwanda Defense Force to cease their offensive in all directions,” foreign ministers of the Group of Seven, which includes the US, Germany, Italy, Japan, France, Canada and the UK, said in a statement Monday.
Rwanda, however, denies supporting the M23 rebels. Kigali insists its actions are defensive and accuses Congo of collaborating with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a militia responsible for attacks on Tutsis in both countries.
