(Goma) After two and a half years of fighting and broken agreements, a ceasefire announced Tuesday evening between Kinshasa and Kigali in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) raised little hope in the region on Wednesday.
Obtained through Angolan mediation, this new agreement aims to silence the weapons from Sunday in the conflict opposing the Congolese army to the M23 rebellion (“March 23 Movement”) which, with the support of Rwanda, has seized large swathes of territory in the province of North Kivu since the end of 2021.
Half a dozen ceasefires and truces have already been declared, but never respected for more than a few weeks. France and Belgium welcomed the signing of this agreement on Wednesday, with Paris encouraging the parties to “respect their commitments”.
But in Goma, the capital of North Kivu, now surrounded by rebels and units of the Rwandan army, the announcement has aroused little enthusiasm.
No outpouring of joy came to disturb the ballet of motorbikes and pedestrians who circulated as usual, under a sky laden with clouds.
“It will come to nothing. The ceasefire benefits the enemy. The rebels have never respected these decisions of the international community,” worries Trésor Tonde Mabala, a student at La Sapientia University in Goma.
Fragile truce
A two-week “humanitarian truce” had already been announced on July 5 by the United States, then extended by 15 days, until August 3.
The fighting has since eased, but NGOs suspect that armed groups are taking advantage of the situation to reorganise with a view to resuming clashes.
“The agreements are often violated by the parties to the conflict, because, at the current stage, the M23 and the Rwandan army continue to strengthen their positions,” assures Georges Katsongo, president of the civil society of the territory of Lubero, in the north of the province, where the M23 has continued to gain ground in recent months.
The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), supported by a motley coalition of armed groups grouped under the name “wazalendo” (“patriots” in Swahili), have been unable to halt the rebel advance.
“I agree that hostilities should cease, because our army has shown itself to be weak in the face of the enemy. We continue to lose our brothers and sisters in this war,” said Roland Kambale, a resident of the Mabanga Nord neighborhood in Goma.
“If this ceasefire allows traffic to resume between Goma and the rest of the province, it is a good idea, which I support,” he adds.
“We encourage the process as long as it can benefit the population,” said Corneille Semakuba, a member of a civil society organization in Goma, which calls for “lasting peace” in a region ravaged by 30 years of conflict.
“Sacrificed” populations
The ceasefire agreement announced in Luanda will be supervised by an “ad hoc verification mechanism”, which will be strengthened, the Angolan mediator specified.
“We will not accept this. We call on the Congolese people of the East to resist,” says Patrick Paluku, a member of the pressure group Véranda Mutsanga in Goma.
“We believe that from August 4, the Wazalendo have the right to attack the enemy. Otherwise, the rebels risk progressing,” he argues.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced people are crowded into the provincial capital and its surroundings, sometimes just a few meters from M23 positions.
This ceasefire “does not reassure us,” said an occupant of a displaced persons camp, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. “What could reassure us would be for the Rwandan soldiers to withdraw from our villages,” he said.
“Let the authorities stop sacrificing us,” implores Kakule Musovoli, a farmer in Kirumba, an area under M23 control, interviewed by telephone from Goma.
“People are starving here and our military is bothering us. The government should also think about the education of our children,” he said.