DRC signs peace deal with M23 rebels but experts in North Kivu remain sceptical

Africanews (in English)

DRC signs peace deal with M23 rebels but experts in North Kivu remain sceptical  Weeks after signing a peace deal with Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached an accord with M23 rebels operating in the country's North Kivu region. But long-time observers of the DRC's attempts to restore peace within its borders aren't ready to celebrate.   READ MORE : http://www.africanews.com/2025/07/21/drc-signs-peace-deal-with-m23-rebels-but-experts-in-north-kivu-remain-sceptical  Subscribe on our Dailymotion channel and receive all the latest news from the continent.    Africanews is available in English and French.  Website : www.africanews.com  Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/africanews.channel/  Twitter : https://twitter.com/africanews

Transcript

00:00Following an initial peace deal with Rwanda last month, the DRC signed a ceasefire agreement with M23 rebels on Saturday in Qatar.

00:08The parties agreed to protect civilians and respect Congolese sovereignty,

00:12but in North Kivu, under the control of Kigali-backed insurgents, observers are sceptical.

00:18What's dramatic is that we've been systematically reproducing the same patterns for all these years.

00:23There's a system of international predation organized to exploit Congolese resources.

00:30And we forget that this is the heart of the matter, and every possible tool is being used

00:35so that this predation and this plan, which has been going on for decades now, can achieve certain objectives.

00:43Like many local observers, Akila is frustrated by an agreement that demonstrates the inability of the Congolese government

00:49to ensure the integrity of its territory.

00:52You see, we're once again in a position of great weakness

00:56because we've had a defense apparatus that's been corrupted in every sense

01:00and that hasn't allowed us to face up to the hyper-sophisticated army we had in front of us.

01:07An army completely supported by the Rwandan army in reality,

01:11which supports the M23, which supports the AFC Politico-military platform.

01:17And so we found ourselves in a weak position to negotiate.

01:22What did we negotiate? That's the question.

01:25Are we going to be able to meet the deadlines set in this communique?

01:30This statement of intent must be implemented by July 29th.

01:34Direct negotiations for a comprehensive peace deal must start by August 8th.

01:39Once again, the problem is justice.

01:42From the moment when the protagonists know that they can do it again,

01:46that in any case there will be agreements that will not be kept

01:49and that will reproduce other militia because there has been no justice,

01:53because justice has been bartered on the altar of so-called peace,

01:57just as justice is bartered on the altar of pseudo-democracy,

02:01every time we find ourselves in a situation where the facts are repeated.

02:05It's cyclical, and as a result, a system of predation quietly goes on its way.

02:12The aim is to conclude and sign the comprehensive peace agreement by August 18th,

02:17but experts say the deadline is unlikely to be met.

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