M23 rebels have retaken positions in various territories in the Democratic Republic of Congo despite the deployment of East African Community (EAC) forces, General Constant Ndima, the provincial governor of North Kivu, has said.
He expressed disappointment over the weekend during a joint news conference with General Jeff Nyagah, the commander of the EAC regional force, and said the Launda agreement "is not strictly adhered to". M23 fighters retook cleared positions in Rutshuru, Masisi, and Nyiragongo territories in Goma.
Last year, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi met in Angola and agreed on a roadmap that included an immediate cessation of hostilities and the retreat of M23 fighters from Congo.
M23 spokesman Willy Ngoma described the Luanda agreement as "an illusion".
"Only the M23 can sign the cease-fire with the government," he said.
Locals say the East African regional forces in the country need to apply excessive pressure on the M23 rebels to resolve the crisis swiftly.
"We already have Monusco (The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo), which has been in the region for more than 20 years, plus EAC forces, but the M23 rebels continue to gain ground," said Mumbere Muyisa, a Goma resident told TRT Afrika.
According to the president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, the country will only fight M23 if attacked first, assuming DRC and M23 comply with the current peace agreement.
To safeguard civilians while the Congolese government resolved its political issues, the Ugandan president said that its army would be stationed in Bunagana, an important trade town in Rutshuru Territory, which is a neutral zone.
The M23's political spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, said that disarmament would only occur if there were direct political dialogue between the M23 and the DRC administration.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi reiterated last week that no political talks with M23 would be held due to their support for foreign infiltration.
He reaffirmed that everything was being done to speed up the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration process for those "M23 fighters who can prove their Congolese nationality".
