The AFC/M23 rebel group and DR Congo government have signed a mandate to operationalise a ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism to reinforce the Doha peace process and ease tensions in eastern DR Congo.
According to the communique shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, the signing took place in Doha on Monday February 2, at the end of a meeting of the Ceasefire Monitoring and Verification Mechanism convened by the State of Qatar, which has been facilitating talks between the two sides.
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Under the mandate, the parties agreed to allow the deployment of monitoring teams led by MONUSCO, working in coordination with the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), to verify compliance with the ceasefire and report on violations.
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Both parties "agreed on the next steps aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of the mechanism and ensuring the continuation of regular meetings within its framework," reaffirming their commitment to the ceasefire and the Doha Framework Agreement for Peace signed on November 15.
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The meeting was attended by the representatives of the United States and the African Union as observers, with Togo participating in its capacity as the African Union-designated facilitator.
As part of the agreed next steps, MONUSCO was tasked with deploying its first monitoring mission to the strategic city of Uvila, while communication channels were established to facilitate coordination between the parties in line with the mechanism.
The deployment, according to the communique, will be made in the "coming days".
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Since January 21, the rebels have raised concerns over the decision by the Kinshasa government to cut off telecommunication networks which has hindered effective communication, making it difficult to establish what is happening on the ground in Uvira and its surrounding territories.
Following their unilateral withdrawal from Uvira in December last year, the rebels announced that they had placed the city under the responsibility of international communities, calling for the deployment of neutral forces citing security threats.
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However, following their withdrawal, reported targeted violence attributed to forces allied to the Kinshasa regime.
In Doha, participants also agreed to hold regular meetings under the mechanism to assess progress and strengthen its effectiveness as the peace process continues.
