Congolese government, M23 rebels sign peace deal

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels have reportedly signed declarations to end conflict in the east of the African country.

“The DR Congo government and M23 have respectively signed declarations,” read a document on Thursday signed by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Malawian President Joyce Banda.

Congolese government spokesman Lambert Mende said three documents were signed at the State House in Nairobi and their provisions include a reiteration of the dissolution of M23 as an armed group.

Other provisions include details of demobilization and a renunciation of violence as a means of pursuing future claims, Mende said.

“The document is very clear: there is no blanket amnesty. Those who are presumed to have committed criminal behavior in terms of international law, war crimes or crimes against humanity will not be reinserted into society,” the spokesman noted.

The M23 rebels defected from the Congolese Army in April 2012 in protest over alleged mistreatment in the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They had previously been integrated into the Congolese army under a peace deal signed in 2009.

The rebels seized Goma on November 20, 2012 after UN peacekeepers gave up the battle for the frontier city of one million people. M23 fighters withdrew from the city on December 1, 2012 under a ceasefire accord.

On November 5, 2013, the DRC claimed “total victory” over the M23 after capturing the group’s remaining hilltop positions north of Goma with the help of a UN-mandated African force.

Hours later, M23 declared an end to its revolt and announced it would disarm and pursue political talks.

Despite the demise of the M23, the DRC continues to host a multitude of rebel groups mostly operating in the country’s mineral-rich east.