The united States has urged for the rapid implementation of a ceasefire in eastern DR Congo following Kinshasa’s acceptance of a truce proposal announced by Angola on February 12. The Angolan presidency unveiled the initiative after high-level consultations in Luanda led by President João Lourenço. The proposal aims to halt fighting between the coalition led by the Kinshasa government and the AFC/M23 armed group, with the truce expected to take effect on February 18. ALSO READ: DR Congo crisis: Ceasefires 'will be in vain' if Kinshasa continues attacks On Friday February 13, the Congolese government formally confirmed its acceptance of the Angolan proposal. In a message on X, US Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos welcomed Kinshasa’s decision but stressed that declarations must be followed by immediate action. “Encouraged by the DRC’s acceptance of Angola’s ceasefire proposal. This moment must translate into action on the ground. All parties must immediately halt hostilities, including drone attacks that continue to claim the lives of innocent civilians,” he wrote. Washington highlighted the urgent need to operationalize the Ceasefire Oversight and Verification Mechanism established under the Doha process. The swift approval of the related memorandum of understanding (MoU) is considered crucial to build trust, ensure accountability, and protect civilians. The Doha framework, mediated by Qatar since April 2025, provides for formal monitoring of the truce. Earlier this month, Kinshasa and AFC/M23 signed an agreement establishing a mechanism to oversee adherence to the ceasefire. Monitoring teams, led by the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO) in coordination with the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), will verify compliance and document violations. The UN confirmed plans to deploy MONUSCO elements to Uvira in South Kivu to support monitoring and stabilization efforts. The Angolan initiative follows a regional tour by African Union-designated facilitators who consulted leaders in the DR Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda, as well as AFC/M23 representatives, to consolidate support for the mediation. Shortly after Kinshasa’s acceptance, the AFC/M23 coalition reaffirmed its readiness to implement the Doha mechanism “without delay and in good faith.” In a message posted on his official X account, AFC/M23 coordinator Corneille Nangaa, the group expressed commitment to a negotiated political solution while accusing Kinshasa of undermining mediation through parallel initiatives and ongoing military operations. Rwanda has also voiced caution over the sustainability of repeated ceasefire declarations. Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe warned that successive agreements could be “in vain” without genuine political will and full implementation on the ground, citing previous truces over the past two years that failed to prevent renewed clashes.
