The AFC/M23 movement and the government of DR Congo return to the negotiation table in Doha on Monday, October 13, for the sixth round of peace talks that began in April. On top of the agenda is an agreement on a permanent ceasefire that could see the conflict in eastern DR Congo stop. ALSO READ: AFC/M23 leader Corneille Nangaa states four reasons why his movement is fighting Tshisekedi govt The talks follow the Declaration of Principles signed on July 19 in Doha, where both sides agreed on seven key commitments, including a ceasefire and the mutual release of prisoners as confidence-building measures to pave the way for peace. However, despite these commitments, fighting has continued on the ground. The rebels accuse government forces and their allies, including Burundian troops, foreign mercenaries, and the FDLR, a Rwandan genocidal militia backed by Kinshasa, of carrying out airstrikes on their positions and on populated areas, killing civilians. ALSO READ: Mercenaries in the DRC crisis: What it means legally and ethically Recent attacks destroyed a major bridge in Walikale, North Kivu, disrupting the movement of goods and people. According to Oscar Balinda, a spokesperson of the AFC/M23, the Qatar-mediated talks were resuming with clear demands. He said, however, that the group, which controls key territories in eastern DR Congo, will not engage in protracted dialogue with the government if it fails to respect prior commitments. “The ceasefire is the top priority. We are focusing on putting in place a permanent ceasefire mechanism. Every party is urged to step back five kilometers from the frontlines,” Balinda told The New Times on Monday. “The frontlines keep shifting, so each side is required to withdraw five kilometers from its current position.” Balinda said once both parties withdraw, a neutral armed force will be deployed between them to ensure compliance. “The mediator proposed the United Nations mission, MONUSCO. However, we do not agree with that because we have faced them on the battlefield. They took the [government] side in this conflict. We have made our own suggestions for which force should play that role,” he said. ALSO READ: DR Congo: M23 says civilian massacres 'can no longer be ignored' He further denounced continued attacks by the government coalition, saying these have forced the rebels to defend themselves and protect civilians. However, he expressed optimism about the ongoing mediation efforts in Qatar. The peace talks are aimed at fostering confidence-building measures and paving the way for long-term peace. The declaration of principles signed in July determines that the talks should pave the way for the return of internally displaced persons and refugees, and the eventual signing of a peace agreement between the conflicting parties. ALSO READ: AFC/M23 writes to UN Secretary-General over atrocities in eastern DR Congo These peaceful negotiations also seek to complement the US-facilitated dialogue between Rwanda and DR Congo, which signed a peace agreement in late June. The Washington peace deal focuses on the disarmament and disengagement of the FDLR, Rwanda’s primary security concern given the militia’s history of cross-border attacks from Congolese territory and its genocidal ideology, and the lifting of Rwanda's defensive measures. The FDLR, which was created by remnants of perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, is also at the heart of ethnic violence against Banyamulenge and other Tutsi communities in eastern DR Congo. The AFC/M23 rebels also denounce the Congolese government's support for the FDLR as the militia drives ethnic violence in the country.
