{"id":2000123393,"date":"2026-08-23T10:24:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-23T08:24:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/?p=2000123393"},"modified":"2026-08-23T10:24:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T08:24:13","slug":"litmus-test-in-south-kivu-minembwe-mission-to-test-ceasefire-commitments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/litmus-test-in-south-kivu-minembwe-mission-to-test-ceasefire-commitments\/","title":{"rendered":"Litmus test in South Kivu: Minembwe mission to test ceasefire commitments"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The mission is part of the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism Plus (EJVM+), whose operationalisation was highlighted in a joint statement issued August 21 following five days of talks in Switzerland between representatives of the DRC government and AFC\/M23.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The parties said an EJVM+ reconnaissance mission had been conducted on August 20 with logistical support from the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO, ahead of the first ceasefire verification mission scheduled for Monday, August 24 in Minembwe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The announcement comes against a backdrop of continued violence in the highlands of South Kivu, where localised ceasefire arrangements have repeatedly come under strain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minembwe mission is therefore likely to be closely watched as a test of whether the monitoring mechanism agreed to under the Doha peace process can establish facts on the ground, investigate allegations and help prevent further escalation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monitoring mechanism faces first major test<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The DRC government and AFC\/M23 agreed in Doha last year to establish a joint ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism. The mechanism was designed to investigate violations and help the parties address incidents before they trigger renewed hostilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latest joint statement says the parties have now made progress in putting the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism Plus into operation, including establishing its secretariat and conducting the reconnaissance mission in Minembwe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also agreed on the need for a standardised method for reporting allegations of ceasefire violations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That provision could prove particularly important in Minembwe, where the opposing sides have repeatedly issued competing accounts of attacks and casualties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fresh allegations of drone strikes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On August 22, AFC\/M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka accused forces aligned with the Kinshasa government of carrying out drone strikes against populated areas of Mukoko and Nyamabuguma in the Minembwe axis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The AFC\/M23 insists that the people of Minembwe, in South Kivu, continue to be subjected to regular mortar and kamikaze drone attacks.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Kanyuka said the strikes occurred shortly after midnight, caused civilian deaths and damage to civilian infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a separate statement issued August 21, Kanyuka accused a coalition including the FARDC, FDLR, Wazalendo militias, foreign mercenaries and Burundi’s military of continuing attacks against civilians. He cited repeated drone and other bombardments along the Minembwe axis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doha process sets broader roadmap<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minembwe mission comes as the DRC government and AFC\/M23 seek to advance negotiations under the Doha Framework for a Comprehensive Peace Agreement, signed in Doha on November 15, 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During their August 17-21 meetings in Switzerland, the parties agreed to establish a mechanism to review progress and address challenges in implementing their obligations under the framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also developed a roadmap setting out steps and timelines for negotiating the remaining protocols.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The parties stressed that the sequence in which the protocols are negotiated would not necessarily determine the sequence of their implementation, and reaffirmed their commitment to pursuing a comprehensive settlement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Parties agreed that the order of negotiation of the protocols does not dictate the order of implementation of the protocols,\u201d the joint statement reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Qatar, the United States, Togo, the African Union Commission and Switzerland participated in or supported the meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A credibility test on the ground<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the Doha process, the Minembwe mission carries significance beyond a single verification exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The August 24 mission is expected to provide an early test of whether the EJVM+ can move from an agreement on paper to an operational mechanism capable of monitoring events in one of South Kivu’s most sensitive conflict zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its findings could also shape confidence in the wider Doha process, particularly as mediators push to advance negotiations aimed at achieving a comprehensive peace agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The DRC government and AFC\/M23 agreed in Doha last year to establish a joint ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism. The mechanism was designed to investigate violations and help the parties address incidents before they trigger renewed hostilities.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A ceasefire verification mission due to visit Minembwe in South Kivu on August 24 will put the Democratic Republic of Congo\u2019s peace commitments with the AFC\/M23 rebel alliance to a critical test, as fighting and allegations of attacks continue in the area despite a broader diplomatic push to end the conflict.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000123394,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[151,99,69],"byline":[192],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000123393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-editors-choice","tag-greatlakesnews","tag-homehighlights","byline-wycliffe-nyamasege"],"bylines":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":2000122456,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-08-14-at-11.58.47-AM.jpeg","title":"WhatsApp Image 2026-08-14 at 11.58.47 AM","mime_type":"image\/jpeg"},"user_id":131}],"contributors":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":2000122456,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-08-14-at-11.58.47-AM.jpeg","title":"WhatsApp Image 2026-08-14 at 11.58.47 AM","mime_type":"image\/jpeg"},"user_id":131}],"featured_image":{"id":2000123394,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/g3okmxtxeaaxeke.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":839,"height":607,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/g3okmxtxeaaxeke.jpg","width":839,"height":607},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/g3okmxtxeaaxeke.jpg","width":839,"height":607},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/g3okmxtxeaaxeke.jpg","width":839,"height":607},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/g3okmxtxeaaxeke.jpg","width":839,"height":607},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/g3okmxtxeaaxeke.jpg","width":839,"height":607}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000123393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000123393"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000123393\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000123396,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000123393\/revisions\/2000123396"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000123394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000123393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000123393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000123393"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000123393"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000123393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}