DRC peace efforts at risk with rising violence

The UN has issued a stark warning that escalating violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is overshadowing the recently brokered international deals which had been seen as a major breakthrough in efforts to achieve lasting peace in the region, this as the DRC rebuffed an invitation to attend a security dialogue after accusing the host, former South African President Thabo Mbeki, of bias, notes Legalbrief Africa. According to TimesLIVE,  a senior UN official warned that the rising violence  was ‘dimming the light of diplomacy’ and that ‘a genuine ceasefire’ doesn’t appear to be on the cards. Martha Pobee, assistant secretary-general for Africa in the departments of political and peacebuilding affairs and peace operations, was updating the security council on developments in the troubled central African country, particularly its east where a Southern African regional bloc mission exited eight months ahead of its mandate finishing. On the diplomatic front, she informed the council of the June peace agreement signed in Washington, DC, between the DRC and Rwanda. This was followed by a declaration of principles between Kinshasa and the Congo River Alliance and 23 March Movement (M23). She said the DRC representative and AFC/M23 have been meeting again in Doha to ‘make way towards a full-fledged peace agreement”, cautioning, ‘the evolution of the security situation on the ground has not matched the progress achieved on the diplomatic front’. The number of civilian casualties has risen dramatically.

Humanitarian workers are risking their lives to provide limited assistance to a population whose needs continue to grow. Conflict-related sexual violence persists amid general indifference, while the forced recruitment of children continues, with thousands unable to go to school due to insecurity. ‘Despite a relative lull in direct clashes, the parties continue to deploy troops and transfer weapons along the front lines,’ security council members heard. In North Kivu, conflict has escalated significantly since April. An estimated 319 civilians, including at least 48 women and 19 children, were killed by AFC/M23, backed by members of the Rwanda Defence Force, between 9 and 21 July in four villages in Rutshuru territory, in North Kivu, Pobee said, adding the killings were ‘the harrowing result’ of a military campaign targeting traditional strongholds of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda. ‘During the operations, health centres and infrastructure were destroyed, villages burned, crops confiscated and many civilians forced to flee or work as labourers against their will,’ she said. In North Kivu and Ituri provinces, the Allied Democratic Forces continues to pose a major threat to civilians, reports TimesLIVE. About 185 civilians, including children, have been killed since the beginning of July. Hundreds were kidnapped over the same period. ‘It is paramount to strengthen co-ordination between the peace initiatives under way,’ Pobee noted, adding the UN organisation stabilisation mission in DRC remains committed to leveraging its expertise in support of all ongoing peace efforts. Pobee said: ‘At this critical juncture for the DRC and the region, it is vital that the council place its full weight behind peace efforts.’ Delegates commended ongoing mediation efforts of the US, Qatar and the AU, emphasising ‘there is no military solution to the Great Lakes conflict’.

Full TimesLIVE report

The DRC has turned down an invitation to a peace and security dialogue organised by the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, reports SABC News. Congolese officials accuse Mbeki of siding with the M23 rebels and Rwanda in his past comments about the conflict in eastern DRC. They claim the former South African leader is also too close to ex-President Joseph Kabila, who is now facing treason charges linked to the M23 rebellion. The foundation is set to host a peace and security dialogue in South Africa from the 3 to 6 September. The gathering is meant to bring together Congolese officials, civil society activists, opposition figures, religious leaders, and armed groups like the M23 rebels. But Kinshasa said it would not take part. The government spokesperson, Patrick Muyaya, dismissed the dialogue as inappropriate, accusing Mbeki of bias in his past remarks about the conflict. Mbeki, however, is remembered for organising the landmark 2002 Sun City peace talks that helped end a wider regional war in the Congo.

Full SABC News report

Meanwhile, senior researcher at the Centre for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies Sultan Al-Khulaifi writes in an Al Jazeera analysis that the ultimate success of the peace agreements depends on two critical factors: Credible implementation and the management of political narratives.’ Al-Khulaifi, however, points out that without sustained international oversight to ensure implementation and efforts to reframe adversarial discourses among elites and communities, the progress embodied in these agreements risks stagnation or reversal. ‘The Washington Agreement represents a political understanding between two states – Rwanda and the DRC – who stand at the heart of the eastern Congo crisis. The accord acknowledges the destabilising role of mutual accusations and commits both parties to de-escalation and the cessation of support for armed groups. Crucially, it outlines a framework for future security co-operation, a mutual recognition of sovereignty, and an agreement to use third-party mediation as a guarantor of commitments.’

On the other hand, he notes that the Doha Declaration of Principles is a detailed roadmap towards a comprehensive peace agreement between the DRC Government and M23 rebels. ‘Structured around seven pillars – general principles, a permanent ceasefire, confidence-building measures, restoration of government authority, return of displaced people, regional mechanisms and a commitment to reaching a final peace agreement, the document offers a holistic approach to ending the armed conflict.’ He states that it clearly prohibits acts of sabotage, propaganda and territorial gains by force, and lays out sequenced actions such as detainee release, oversight mechanisms and post-conflict re-integration. ‘One of the most commendable features of these two agreements is the commitment to sequencing and timetabling. The Doha Declaration specifies timelines for implementing confidence-building measures, initiating direct negotiations, and signing a final peace agreement. Likewise, the Washington Agreement’s synchronisation with the Doha process reflects an understanding of the interconnectedness between regional alignments and domestic armed group behaviour.’ Additionally, he says in the Al Jazeera analysis, both documents highlight the role of external guarantors – Qatar and the US – and reaffirm the role of the African Union and the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

‘This reflects an integrated peace-building model in which non-Western and Western actors, alongside multilateral institutions, reinforce one another.’ According to Al-Khulaifi, research on conflict mediation indicates that collaboration among multiple mediators enhances the likelihood of reaching peace agreements and contributes to the durability and legitimacy of those settlements. ‘Joint mediation efforts often combine diverse strengths – such as resources, leverage and normative legitimacy – making negotiated outcomes more robust and acceptable to the parties involved.’ Despite these achievements, he says in the Al Jazeera analysis, the real test lies ahead. ‘Many previous peace accords in the DRC have collapsed due to weak implementation, mistrust, and political manipulation. The current agreements face similar risks. Low political will of conflict parties remains a challenge. Past processes like Nairobi and Luanda show that declarations often fail to deliver change on the ground because parties may use them to gain time or boost international legitimacy, rather than pursue peace. Both the Doha and Washington frameworks remain vulnerable to delays and political grandstanding by the conflict parties – patterns that have repeatedly undermined past peace efforts.’

Full Al Jazeera report