After years of brutal conflict and broken promises, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 armed group have reached a limited but meaningful agreement in Switzerland. Following talks mediated by Qatar in Montreux, both sides committed to allowing unimpeded humanitarian aid into eastern Congo, releasing prisoners within ten days, and establishing ceasefire monitoring mechanisms. The agreement explicitly protects food supplies, hospitals, schools, and aid workers—a sign of how systematically these have been targeted. But optimism must be tempered: a US-brokered peace deal signed in December was followed almost immediately by M23’s seizure of another major city. Even so, the agreement represents a fragile but welcome first step toward peace.
Le Monde
