The presidency of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) announced that it had accepted the ceasefire proposal formulated by Angola, providing for the cessation of hostilities from February 18 between government forces and the Congo River Alliance/M23 (AFC/M23).
This initiative follows a meeting held in Luanda between Angolan President João Lourenço, his Congolese counterpart Félix Tshisekedi, Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé, the African Union (AU) designated mediator, and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, facilitator of the peace process.
Kinshasa maintains it favors a peaceful solution, while warning against any unilateral changes to military positions during the truce. No official reaction from the AFC/M23 has been recorded at this stage.
In Addis Ababa, the African Union Commission welcomed the signing of the terms of reference establishing a ceasefire mechanism between the parties. Its chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, described it as an important step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace in eastern DRC. The AU called on both sides to fully implement their commitments and noted the support of Qatar and the United States for the mediation process.
Furthermore, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, indicated that MONUSCO could deploy forces to Uvira, in South Kivu, to monitor the ceasefire when security conditions allow.
According to the United Nations and several Western countries, the M23, accused of being supported by Rwanda, controls in particular the cities of Goma and Bukavu, which were taken in early 2025.
