Progress in the Democratic Republic of Congo peace negotiations and an agreement to strengthen humanitarian corridors.

Written by: Mohamed Ragab

The government of the Republic announced Congo Democracy and the Congo River rebel alliance have made significant progress on a new protocol relating to humanitarian access, judicial protection, ceasefire monitoring mechanisms, and the release of prisoners, as part of ongoing international efforts to support stability in the east of the country.

Intensive negotiations 

The talks took place over five days in Switzerland, with the participation of intermediaries International parties, including Qatar, the United States, Togo, and the African Union, are working to revive the framework peace agreement signed in Doha last November.

According to media reports, the discussions focused on ensuring that the terms of the agreement are effectively implemented on the ground.

Facilitating humanitarian work

According to a joint statement issued earlier, the two sides agreed to facilitate the passage of individuals and humanitarian convoys to conflict-affected areas, and to commit to not targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure. This move is seen as an attempt to alleviate the worsening humanitarian crisis in the conflict zones.

Hundreds of prisoners released

The two sides also reached an agreement to release prisoners from both sides within ten days, in a move aimed at building trust between them.

The list includes 311 people held by the March 23 Movement, compared to 166 people held by the Congolese government, according to the latest understandings.

ceasefire monitoring

The two sides also agreed to activate a joint mechanism to monitor the ceasefire, with plans to carry out field missions within one week, with logistical support from the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the country. These steps are expected to contribute to enhancing the chances of de-escalation and reducing violations on the ground.