The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the M23 rebels signed a framework peace deal in Qatar following U.S. and African Union-mediated talks (Al Jazeera)
The framework contains eight protocols, with more talks needed on how to implement six of them, U.S. envoy Massad Boulos told Reuters; the first two protocols cover prisoner exchanges and truce monitoring (Reuters)
The deal offers a glimmer of hope for ending the conflict, which has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more this year alone (BBC)
Separately, in the North Kivu province, fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces, a group linked to the self-proclaimed Islamic State, killed at least seventeen civilians, including six women, after attacking a local hospital (AP)
Trial for Former Congolese Rebel Leader
In Paris, French judges initiated proceedings against Roger Lumbala, ex-chief of the National Democracy rebel group, for alleged involvement in crimes against civilians during the Second Congo War, with prosecutors seeking to hold him liable under France’s universal-jurisdiction law for acts including torture, killings, and sexual violence (AP)
DRC, Rwanda Sign Economic Deal in Washington
Delegates from the DRC and Rwanda signed an economic pact in Washington, marking progress in U.S.-led mediation efforts after the two sides failed to reach an agreement last month (Reuters)
Implementation of the Regional Economic Integration Framework depends on a prior peace deal requiring Rwanda to withdraw from eastern DRC (U.S. State Department)
Doha-Mediated Peace Talks at Standstill
Peace talks between the DRC and M23 resumed in Qatar, but the parties remain deadlocked; delegates report disagreement over restoring state authority, a dispute likely deepened after M23 announced plans to appoint officials to a parallel government in territory under its control (RFI)
DRC President Says Rwanda Seeks to Annex Eastern Part of Country
DRC President Felix Tshisekedi accused Rwanda of seeking to annex the resource-rich, eastern part of his country while speaking to the Congolese diaspora in Egypt (AFP)
Goma Airport to Partially Reopen
Following an international conference in Paris on October 30, the DRC has committed to reopening Goma Airport for humanitarian operations; French President Emmanuel Macron announced that attending nations and NGOs pledged over $1.7 billion in aid for the Great Lakes region (RFI)
France to Host Conference on Humanitarian Action in DRC
France and Togo co-hosted a high-level conference in Paris aimed at mobilizing support for peace and humanitarian relief in the DRC; representatives from over fifty countries and international organizations participated, emphasizing the urgency of increased financial assistance (RFI)
DRC Battles Worst Cholera Outbreak in Twenty Years
The DRC is facing a cholera epidemic that has spread in part due to the conflict in the country’s east; nearly 60,000 people have been infected and over 1,500 have died, with numbers likely to increase as many health workers are unable to reach affected regions due to the war (The Telegraph)
M23 Rejects Claims It Diverted Gold From Mine
Rebel leaders dismissed accusations from a mining company that fighters removed large quantities of bullion from the Twangiza site in South Kivu, suggesting that the facility is inactive and alleging that the government has struck the area with airstrikes; UN experts and Western governments continue to link M23’s territorial gains to illicit mineral revenues (Reuters)
DRC, Rwanda Meet in Washington to Discuss Ceasefire
Representatives from the DRC and Rwanda met in Washington from October 21 to 22 for the third session of the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism; the meeting, part of a June agreement between the two nations, aims to reinforce commitments to ending the conflict in eastern DRC (Kivu Morning Post)
Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila Appears in Kenya Following Conviction
Two weeks after being convicted of crimes against humanity and treason by a military court in the DRC, former President Joseph Kabila appeared publicly in Kenya; his presence may spark diplomatic tensions, as the DRC has previously accused Kenya of supporting the M23 rebel group (AP)
Congolese and Ugandan Militaries Hold Bilateral Meeting
The Armed Forces of the DRC and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces held a bilateral meeting to strengthen coordination and security operations on Lake Edward, which lies on the border between North Kivu and Uganda (UPDF)
DRC, M23 Sign Ceasefire Monitoring Mechanism
Representatives from the DRC and M23 signed an agreement in Doha to establish a ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism; the deal builds on a previous agreement signed in July and will include the African Union, the United States, and Qatar as observers. (Qatar MoFA)
Congo Court Sentences Former President Kabila to Death in Absentia
A military high court in Kinshasa convicted Kabila of crimes against humanity and treason for supporting the M23 rebel group, sentencing him to death and ordering him to pay $33 billion in reparations; Kabila, who is now in exile, denounced the trial as illegal through his party (NYT)
Congo, Rwanda Set October Start for Trump-Mediated Peace Deal
The DRC and Rwanda will begin implementing key security measures under their U.S.-mediated peace deal on October 1, sources told Reuters; the plan includes operations to neutralize the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda militia and a phased withdrawal of Rwandan troops, with full implementation due by the end of the year (Reuters)
The Trump-backed peace deal was signed in Washington in June but has faced delays due to disputes over Rwanda’s ties to the M23 rebels; both sides met in Washington this month to resolve these disputes, while Congo continues parallel talks with M23 in Qatar (CNN)
Meanwhile, health officials continue to warn of the new Ebola outbreak in Congo’s Kasai province, which has killed thirty-five and led to fifty-seven reported infections since September 4 (AP)
Red Cross Appeals for Urgent Aid to Contain Congo Ebola Outbreak
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warned that health facilities in Bulape, the epicenter of Congo’s first Ebola outbreak in three years, are overwhelmed; the IFRC is seeking $25 million to bolster clean water, protective equipment, and treatment capacity, as the WHO reported forty-eight cases and thirty-one deaths so far (Reuters)
Congo and Rwanda Draft Minerals Deal With U.S. Backing
A framework seen by Reuters shows Kinshasa and Kigali plan to work with the United States and other partners to reform mineral supply chains and boost transparency as part of a June peace deal, although stalled troop withdrawals and continued fighting by M23 rebels threaten implementation (Reuters)
DRC and M23 Rebels Miss Deadline to Reach Peace Deal
Qatar is mediating the negotiations; the parties committed to the deadline a month ago (Reuters)
United States Sanctions Groups Profiting From Illegal Mineral Sales
The United States sanctioned an armed group and companies from the DRC and China, which it stated were profiting from illegal mineral sales; the conflict minerals trade poses a danger and hinders lawful mining, a U.S. Treasury official stated (U.S. Treasury)
Washington says it is trying to broker a peace deal in the country and invest in its mineral resources (AP)
M23 Killed 319 Civilians in Eastern DRC in July
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said M23 rebels killed at least 319 civilians, including 48 women and 19 children, last month in eastern DRC, citing “first-hand accounts;” Turk said in a statement that the violence in the Rutshuru territory of North Kivu produced “one of the largest documented death tolls in such attacks since the M23’s resurgence in 2022” (Al Jazeera)
UN Human Rights Chief: M23 Killed At Least 319 Civilians in July
July marked one of the deadliest months on record since the M23 rebel group surged in 2022; the DRC and Rwanda signed a peace deal in Washington late last month, and M23 and the Congolese government say they are also working toward a peace deal (Reuters)
DRC and Rwanda Agree to Economic Cooperation as Part of Peace Deal
DRC and Rwanda agreed on an “economic integration framework,” which includes cooperation on energy, infrastructure, mineral supply chains, national parks, and public health during their first talks since signing a peace deal, according to the U.S. State Department, which mediated the deal in Washington (Al Jazeera)
Thirty-Eight Killed in ADF Attack on Catholic Church in Ituri
At least thirty-eight people were found dead following an attack on a Catholic church in eastern DRC’s Ituri province; rebels from the Allied Democratic Force ADF, backed by the Islamic State, stormed the church and opened fire on worshippers during a vigil, killing nineteen men, fifteen women, and nine children, as well as five others in a nearby village (AP)
Twelve Rescued and Unknown Number Trapped in South Kivu Mine Collapse
Twelve people have reportedly been rescued from an informal gold mine in M23-controlled South Kivu that collapsed following a landslide, trapping an unknown number of the thousands of miners working there (AP)
DRC Signs Ceasefire With M23
Both sides committed to a lasting resolution to their conflict and pledged to sign an official peace deal by August 18 (Reuters)
DRC and M23 rebels agreed to exchange detainees and restore national authorities in eastern cities currently controlled by M23 (PBS)
The deal also states that both sides must refrain from attacks, harmful propaganda, and any attempts to seize new ground positions (BBC)
Washington welcomed the Qatar-facilitated deal, while the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC called it “an important step towards sustainable peace” (State;UN)
It follows a June peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda (State)