Several fighters from the M23 rebel group have surrendered to government forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), following renewed peace efforts aimed at ending decades of conflict in the country’s eastern region.
Reports say “those who laid down their arms included civilians, soldiers, and police officers who had been kidnapped and forcibly recruited when the cities of Goma and Bukavu were captured by M23 earlier this year.”
The surrender took place across North Kivu, Kalehe, and South Kivu provinces, and among the group were two senior officers.
An army commander has urged other rebels to emulate the gesture and join the peace process.
Last week, the DRC government and M23 agreed to establish an oversight body to monitor a potential permanent ceasefire, following mediation talks in Doha, Qatar. The agreement builds on a July declaration of principles designed to restore state authority in eastern Congo.
The Rwanda-backed M23 movement remains one of more than 100 armed groups operating in the mineral-rich eastern DRC.
The ongoing conflict has displaced more than seven million people, creating what the United Nations describes as “one of the world’s most complex and prolonged humanitarian crises.”
Afrian News/ Oyenike Oyeniyi