Congo, M23 Rebels Sign Ceasefire Deal in Switzerland — Prisoners Released in 10 Days

The Democratic Republic of Congo government and M23 rebels signed a ceasefire monitoring agreement Saturday in Montreux, Switzerland, committing to protect civilians and allow humanitarian aid deliveries after five days of U.S.-mediated talks.

The State Department released a joint statement announcing both sides "agreed to refrain from any action that would undermine the principled delivery of humanitarian assistance within the territories impacted by the conflict." The parties also pledged not to target civilians and promised to facilitate medical care for wounded and sick populations.

Under the deal, both sides will release prisoners within 10 days as part of confidence-building measures. They signed a memorandum establishing a ceasefire monitoring mechanism that will "begin conducting surveillance, monitoring, verification, and reporting on the implementation of the permanent ceasefire between the parties."

The Rwanda-backed M23 has seized territory across eastern Congo since 2021, adding to more than 30 years of conflict in the mineral-rich region. Despite a U.S.-brokered peace agreement signed in December, fighting continued into South Kivu's highland areas in recent weeks.

Human Rights Watch last week accused both parties of blocking aid deliveries and preventing civilians from fleeing the South Kivu highlands. "Civilians in South Kivu's highlands are facing a dire humanitarian crisis and live in fear of abuses by all parties," said Clementine de Montjoye, the group's senior Great Lakes researcher.

The talks in the Swiss Riviera town included representatives from Qatar, the United States, Switzerland, the African Union Commission, and Togo serving as the AU mediator. Both sides made progress on protocols for humanitarian access and judicial protections, according to the joint statement.

The agreement represents the latest attempt to end violence that has displaced millions and created one of the world's largest humanitarian crises. American taxpayers have funded hundreds of millions in aid to the region, while the conflict threatens stability across Central Africa and disrupts global supply chains for critical minerals used in electronics and electric vehicles.

The prisoner release timeline and ceasefire monitoring mechanism will test whether this agreement holds where previous deals have failed.