Congo and Rebels Agree to Cease Hostilities in the East: Key Points to Understand

DAKAR – Rebels supported by Congo and Rwanda have signed a declaration of principles for a permanent ceasefire in eastern Congo, an area plagued by ethnic tensions and a scramble for rich minerals, leading to one of Africa’s longest conflicts with thousands of casualties this year.

The African Union described Saturday’s agreement, facilitated by Qatar, as a “major milestone” in peace initiatives, with Qatari officials stating it lays the groundwork for “a comprehensive peace that addresses the deep-rooted causes of the conflict.”

However, the document signed in Qatar is already facing challenges, as both parties seem to interpret a significant aspect of the declaration differently.

Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said the declaration takes into account “the non-negotiable withdrawal” of the rebels from seized territories, including the biggest city of Goma. The M23 rebels denied this, with a spokesman telling The Associated Press: “We are in Goma with the population and we are not going to get out.”

The declaration is supposed to lead to a final peace deal

The declaration of principles was the first direct commitment by both sides since the rebels, supported by neighboring Rwanda, seized two key cities in eastern Congo in a major advance early this year.

In it, both parties committed to “building trust” through various measures, including an exchange of prisoners and detainees as well as restoring state authority in all parts of the country, including rebel-held areas. The International Committee of the Red Cross, which has been mentioned as a key party in facilitating such release, said after the signing that it “stands ready to help.”

The signing sets in motion negotiations for a final peace deal, to be signed no later than Aug. 18. It also reflects provisions of a U.S.-brokered peace deal signed between Congo and Rwanda on June 27.

Both the U.S.-facilitated and Qatar-led peace talks are aligned, and the Congolese and Rwandan presidents are soon expected in Washington to finalize negotiations for ending the conflict.

The conflict dates back to the Rwandan genocide

The conflict can be traced to the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide of 1994, when Hutu soldiers and militias killed between 500,000 and 1 million minority Tutsis as well as moderate Hutus and the Indigenous Twa. When Tutsi-led rebels stopped the genocide and ousted the Hutu government, nearly 2 million Hutus fled into neighboring Congo, fearing reprisals.

Rwandan authorities accused the authorities in Kinshasa of sheltering those responsible for the mass killings among the civilian refugees, most of whom had returned when Rwanda first invaded Congo in 1996. But Kigali said the remaining Hutu fighters in eastern Congo are still a threat to Rwanda’s Tutsi population, and wants them neutralized.

At least 6 million people have been killed in the conflict since then, mostly characterized by on-and-off fighting but also famines and unchecked disease outbreaks.

Minerals hold key to the conflict

Analysts have said a lot of interests in the conflict in Congo are tied to the mostly untapped minerals in the east, estimated to be worth as much as $24 trillion by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The Trump administration has pushed to gain access to the minerals key to much of the world’s technology. It is also to counter China, a key player in the region where the U.S. presence and influence have eroded. That is already playing out with KoBold Metals, a U.S. mining company that on Friday announced it has signed an agreement with Congo for “large-scale minerals exploration program” in the east.

Rwanda’s interests are also tied to the conflict minerals, although it often says its involvement is to protect its territory and punish those connected to the 1994 genocide.

A team of U.N. experts said in a report in December that Rwanda was benefitting from minerals “fraudulently” exported from areas under the control of the M23. Rwanda has denied it.

Although the M23 has touted itself as a group independent of Rwanda and capable of governing territories under its control, it still relies heavily on Kigali. U.N. experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan troops in eastern Congo.

Justice remains a major issue

The U.N. and rights groups have accused both sides of committing atrocities and possible war crimes since fighting escalated in January. It includes children being killed in summary executions, the rape and sexual abuse of thousands of children, attacks on hospitals, forced recruitments and disappearance of residents in rebel-held areas.

“We cannot build peace without justice and reparation,” Goma resident Amani Muisa said.