The White House announced on Thursday that the United States has endorsed a two-week humanitarian truce in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), amidst intense conflicts between the government forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.
This surge of violence in North Kivu province has resulted in over 1.7 million people being displaced, escalating the total number of people displaced by various conflicts in Congo to an unprecedented 7.2 million, as per United Nations data.
Scheduled to commence at midnight local time on Friday and lasting until July 19, the truce specifically targets regions most impacted by the conflict, aiming to protect civilian populations.
Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the National Security Council, highlighted the severe impact of the conflict’s recent escalation: “The recent expansion of fighting in North Kivu has hindered humanitarian efforts to reach hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the vicinity of Kanyabayonga, and has forced over 100,000 people to flee their homes.”
Both the DRC and Rwanda have voiced their support for the truce, recognizing it as a crucial step “to alleviate the suffering of vulnerable populations and establish a foundation for a broader de-escalation of tensions in eastern DRC,” according to Watson.
The United States has urged all involved parties to adhere to the terms of the truce.
The conflict with the M23 rebels has been ongoing in North Kivu for over two years, amidst other militia-related violence. Congo, the United Nations, and various Western nations have repeatedly accused Rwanda of bolstering M23 with troops and weapons, allegations Rwanda denies.
Rwanda has, in turn, accused Congo of supporting and collaborating with the Hutu rebel group, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which has perpetrated attacks against Tutsis in both nations.
M23 asserts that its military actions are to safeguard Tutsis from adversaries like the FDLR, which includes Hutu extremists responsible for participating in the 1994 genocide against Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda.
