Overview
- The Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 insurgency signed a Qatar-brokered Declaration of Principles that promises a permanent ceasefire and a path to a comprehensive accord, but it leaves control of captured territory unresolved and an M23 spokesperson said the group will not leave Goma.
- Goma has fallen again to M23, Bukavu is also under rebel control, and United Nations and SADC peacekeepers were killed in the latest advance as the rebels administer sizeable areas of eastern Congo.
- The humanitarian crisis is escalating, with nearly seven million people displaced, less than 13 percent of those in need receiving aid in January, and the International Rescue Committee warning of collapsing health services and a rise in cholera.
- Regional diplomacy is strained as the European Union sanctioned Rwanda, M23 retracted its commitment to Angolan talks, Qatar hosted a Kagame–Tshisekedi recommitment to a ceasefire with few details, and SADC moved to withdraw its stabilization force after casualties.
- Rwanda’s involvement faces renewed scrutiny, with expert estimates of thousands of Rwandan troops backing M23 and a UN report alleging Rwandan mining in North Kivu, while President Paul Kagame publicly rejected claims that Kigali is exploiting Congo’s resources.