Moscow believes dialogue is the only way to secure lasting stability in the country, the Foreign Ministry has said
Russia has welcomed a new peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) government and rebels to end a long-running armed conflict in the Central African country’s east that has killed thousands.
The move marks another step toward “unblocking the conflict” and is in line with commitments previously made by the warring parties, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement on Monday.
She said Moscow remains “convinced that the only viable way to ensure security and lasting peace” in DR Congo’s troubled eastern region is to “continue dialogue with the participation of international and regional mediators, with the prospect of achieving long-term national reconciliation.”
Kinshasa and the Congo River Alliance (AFC), a coalition of armed groups including the M23 rebel movement, signed a framework peace agreement on November 15 in Doha after months of mediation by Qatar, the US, and the African Union.
The document lays out eight protocols to be negotiated, including an immediate cessation of hostilities, disengagement of forces, “unimpeded, safe, and sustained humanitarian access,” and conditions for the return of displaced civilians. It also calls for the “full restoration of state authority over the entire national territory,” including areas currently held by the rebels.
The M23 captured Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, and Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, earlier this year amid escalating hostilities. More than 1,000 civilians have been killed in North Kivu and Ituri since the start of the year, and at least 400,000 people have been displaced in the Beni and Lubero territories alone, the UN humanitarian agency said last week.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric also said nearly 25 million people in DR Congo are facing severe acute food insecurity due to disrupted agricultural activities and blockaded trade routes following repeated rebel attacks.
Previous attempts to secure a ceasefire have failed. In July, Congolese officials and the AFC signed a declaration in Doha and agreed to finalize a peace deal by August 18. The deadline passed without progress, with each side accusing the other of violations.
