The M23 rebel group accepted a two-week humanitarian truce reached on July 4, as part of efforts by the United States government to ease hostilities and allow the return of displaced persons in DR Congo's North Kivu province. The truce, announced by the White House, took effect on July 5 and will continue until July 19. ALSO READ: M23 rebels seize more territory in eastern DR Congo The M23 intends to facilitate assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) and allow the return of millions of people to their areas of origin in the territories of Rutshuru, Nyiragongo, Masisi, and Lubero, where peace now prevails, rebel spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said in a July 6 statement. ALSO READ: Ministers Nduhungirehe, Kabarebe attend EAC retreat on regional security It comes after fighting between the M23 and the Congolese army had escalated in North Kivu, with the rebels expanding the territory in their control. In late June, the rebels took control of the towns of Kanyabayonga and Kirumba as they expanded their territory to the north of the province. ALSO READ: M23 rebels seize key town of Rubaya, insist on ‘stopping genocide’ The two-week humanitarian truce commits the parties to the conflict to silence their weapons, allow for the voluntary return of displaced people, and provide humanitarian personnel unfettered access to vulnerable populations, White House National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement on July 4. The truce covers areas of hostilities most affecting civilian populations, she said, adding that the parties to the conflict had agreed to it to set conditions for broader de-escalation of tensions in eastern DR Congo. The United States remains fully in support of the Luanda process and the Government of Angola’s efforts to address the current and historic factors perpetuating this longstanding crisis, Watson said. Eastern DR Congo has been volatile for about three decades. It is home to more than 200 local and foreign armed groups. Tensions between the Congolese army and the M23 began in November 2021, after the rebel group had spent nearly a decade without fighting. The M23 accuses the Congolese army (FARDC) of cooperating with negative militia groups such the FDLR, a UN-sanctioned militia linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, which have destabilized eastern DR Congo for nearly 30 years. The FDLR is accused of spreading an anti-Tutsi genocidal ideology in eastern DR Congo and the persecution of Congolese Tutsi communities. ALSO READ: M23 claims capture of FDLR strongholds The Congolese government coalition also includes forces from the Southern African Development Community, Burundian soldiers, local youth groups and European mercenaries.
