Security forces in DR Congo and rebel groups have agreed on a 72-hour cease-fire to de-escalate tensions in the country's hard-hit east near the border with Rwanda, the US has announced just days ahead of a presidential election.
But some of the region's many rebel groups quickly distanced themselves, and neither government commented.
The agreement was backed by both DR Congo and Rwanda, a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, Adrienne Watson, said in a statement Monday.
The most prominent rebel group is the M23 with links to Rwanda, a major source of tension between the neighbors even as Rwanda denies supporting the rebels.
Withdrawal of troops
The US said the agreement includes the withdrawal of forces occupying the locality of Mushaki — seized this month by the M23 — and the RP1030 road, a main supply route in eastern Congo.
The wider region has struggled with conflict for decades as more than 120 armed groups fight for control of mineral resources or to defend their communities.
On Tuesday, some of the rebel groups distanced themselves from the agreement, saying it “does not concern us” but instead involved the Congolese and Rwandan governments.
“We no longer trust these kinds of decisions because this is not the first time that a ceasefire has been declared,” Héritier Ndange, spokesman for the Alliance of Patriots for a Free and Sovereign Congo, told a press briefing attended by other groups.
No comment
Neither DR Congo nor Rwanda has publicly commented on the ceasefire, which the White House said would help “advance the implementation of the confidence-building measures to protect civilians” as Congo prepares for the December 20 election.
“The U.S. government will use its intelligence and diplomatic resources to monitor the activities by armed forces and non-state armed groups during the ceasefire,” the statement added.
President Felix Tshisekedi, who seeks another term, earlier said rebel-controlled territories might not participate in the vote for security reasons.
The top United Nations official in Congo warned on Monday that tensions between Congo and Rwanda have escalated, heightening the risk of a military confrontation.
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