Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have reached an agreement to suspend hostilities in the North Kivu province, following a meeting between the foreign ministers of both countries. The meeting was hosted by Angolan President Joao Lourenco at the presidential palace in Luanda.
Kinshasa has long accused Kigali of backing M23 rebels fighting the army in eastern North Kivu province, an accusation that Rwanda denies.
A report commissioned by the UN Security Council found that 3,000 to 4,000 Rwandan soldiers have been fighting alongside the M23 and that Kigali had “de facto control” of the group’s operations.
This latest suspension of hostilities is due to come into effect from midnight on August 4, as a partially respected humanitarian truce between the M23 and government forces expires.
However, it is not yet clear which parties have agreed to down their arms.
The DRC’s mineral-rich east has been plagued by conflict for some 30 years, with fighting between both local and foreign-based armed groups, including M23 rebels.
The United Nations reports that more than 1.7 million people have been displaced by the fighting in the province, driving up the number displaced by multiple conflicts in the country to over 7 million.
