The Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has stated that the expulsion of one of its soldiers from the team responsible for monitoring the ceasefire in Goma has disrupted the functioning of the mechanism established to oversee the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between Kinshasa and AFC/M23.
According to Radio France Internationale (RFI), the soldier was one of three FARDC officers deployed to represent the DRC in the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism Plus (EJVM+), a joint body tasked with monitoring and verifying compliance with the ceasefire.
However, he was expelled from areas controlled by AFC/M23 before the mechanism could begin operating as planned.
During a Cabinet meeting held on July 31, DRC Minister of Defence Guy Kabombo Muadiamvita said the soldier had been expelled “without valid justification” and argued that the decision had slowed down the activities of the monitoring mechanism.
The Congolese government accuses AFC/M23 of obstructing the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
The EJVM+ mechanism was established to monitor adherence to the ceasefire, investigate allegations of violations, and assist the parties involved in resolving disputes through dialogue-based approaches.
Rwanda Tribune attempted to contact Dr. Oscar Balinda, the Deputy Spokesperson for Political Affairs of AFC/M23, to obtain his reaction to the accusations made by the DRC government and to clarify his movement’s position regarding the expulsion of the soldier. However, he could not be reached by telephone by the time this article was published.
This development comes as the parties involved in the ceasefire agreement continue to emphasize mechanisms for monitoring compliance with the accord, while the issue of mutual trust between Kinshasa and AFC/M23 remains one of the major obstacles to the ongoing peace talks.
Mwizerwa Ally
Rwandatribune.rw
