M23 Threatens to Boycott DRC Peace Process Over Prisoners
M23 Threatens to Boycott DRC Peace Process Over Prisoners
The rebel movement, which controls vast territories in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, denounced Kinshasa's slowness in releasing prisoners, a key clause of the Doha declaration of principles signed this month.
A few days before the resumption of negotiations scheduled to take place in Doha on August 8, M23 Permanent Secretary Benjamin Mbonimpa toughened his tone:
"What will we do in Doha if our prisoners are not released? The declaration stipulates that this clause must be respected before moving to the next stage."
The agreement in principle, brokered by Qatar, promised an immediate ceasefire. However, the truce was fleeting, as both sides quickly accused each other of breaches.
Fighting is intensifying in the provinces of North and South Kivu, where the M23 is clashing with the Wazalendo self-defense groups, allied with the Congolese army.
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