The AFC/M23 movement has said it does not recognize the ceasefire proposed by Angolan President João Lourenço despite the Congolese government’s formal acceptance of the initiative. ALSO READ: MONUSCO boss arrives in Goma to advance ceasefire monitoring Speaking to The New Times on Monday, February 16, AFC/M23 spokesperson Oscar Balinda said the movement was neither consulted nor bound by the ceasefire expected to take effect on February 18. “We do not know about that ceasefire, we know about the Doha process, which is still underway,” Balinda said. His remarks follow a series of official announcements regarding a proposed ceasefire. On February 12, the Angolan presidency issued a statement after a meeting in Luanda by Lourenço, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, Togolese leader and African Union-appointed mediator Faure Gnassingbé, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. The proposed ceasefire between the Congolese government and the AFC/M23 rebels would take effect at 12:00 on February 18, pending public acceptance of the date. ALSO READ: DR Congo crisis: Ceasefires 'will be in vain' if Kinshasa continues attacks On February 13, the Congolese government confirmed that Tshisekedi had “accepted the principle of a ceasefire, in a spirit of responsibility, appeasement, and the pursuit of a peaceful solution to the conflict.” However, the AFC/M23 maintains that it is focused on the Qatar-mediated peace talks, which already established a structured mechanism to guide the formal ceasefire process. Balinda noted the Doha process was initiated in April 2025 at the request of President Tshisekedi after a failed attempt at talks in Luanda. Under the Doha process, the parties signed a mandate outlining the implementation and monitoring of the ceasefire, including the deployment of verification mechanisms. A milestone was reached on February 2 in Doha, where the parties agreed on a ceasefire mechanism to be monitored by the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, in coordination with the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR). ALSO READ: African Union criticised over 'biased stance' on Kisangani drone strike Balinda said the movement is currently focused on the procedural steps stemming from that signed mandate. “MONUSCO, which is part of the monitoring mechanism, came here in Goma to analyze the situation on the ground. The Extended Joint Verification Mechanism (EJVM+) of ICGLR is structured with the team led by a Zambian General,” he said. On January 13, a high-level meeting in Zambia endorsed Brig Gen Charles Simuyuni Nakeempa as the new commander of the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism, alongside his deputy, Col Arlindo Sebastiao Vandunemu Fernandes from Angola. The ICGLR is awaiting the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by both DR Congo and the AFC/M23 as part of the operationalization of the Doha ceasefire framework. “We are waiting for the signing of the MoU, and then we proceed with the next steps,” Balinda said. “With the Luanda process still ongoing, President Felix Tshisekedi is sidelining with the ceasefire, while he is actually focused on the military solution on the ground.” ALSO READ: AFC/M23, DR Congo sign ceasefire monitoring mandate in Doha He added that had the ceasefire been mutually agreed within the existing framework, the movement would have formally communicated its position. 'Fragmented efforts' In a statement issued on February 13 following Kinshasa’s confirmation of the ceasefire, AFC/M23 coordinator Corneille Nangaa also reiterated that the movement remains committed to implementing the mechanism agreed under Doha. “Following renewed calls for a ceasefire, the AFC/M23 reaffirms its commitment to implement, without delay and in good faith, the mechanism agreed upon within the framework of the Doha process,” Nangaa said. However, he accused Kinshasa of pursuing a strategy of “diplomatic fragmentation.” “The AFC/M23 denounces the strategy of diplomatic fragmentation pursued by the illegitimate and corrupt regime in Kinshasa, characterized by the multiplication of frameworks and parallel initiatives outside of a centralized and consensual process,” Nangaa stated. He argued that such an approach “undermines the coherence of mediation efforts, weakens the credibility of commitments made, and risks delaying the emergence of a serious and sustainable political settlement.” The rebel leader further noted that the reality on the ground contradicted the government’s public declarations. “In clear contradiction with its recent announcement of adherence to the ceasefire call, the Kinshasa regime demonstrates through verifiable facts on the ground, the continuation of acts of belligerence,” he said, Nangaa cited offensives carried out against densely populated localities, the use of mercenaries as evidence of “a deliberate choice of military escalation, in total breach of the spirit and letter of the public commitments undertaken.” He also expressed concerns over regional dynamics, pointing out the role of Burundi, whose President Evariste Ndayishimiye recently assumed the chairmanship of the African Union. He said the Burundian leader “contributes to the persistence of targeted violence against the Banyamulenge communities.” ALSO READ: Banyamulenge take Burundi govt to court over abuses in Minembwe He called on the international community and continental institutions to exercise sustained vigilance to prevent any escalation and to avoid worsening ethnic tensions and the humanitarian crisis in the region.
