The AFC/M23 movement has accused the Congolese government of violatingthe ceasefire agreementsigned just a day earlier, noting that government forces bombed densely populated areas in South and North Kivu shortly after the deal was concluded.
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The ceasefire oversight and verification agreement was signed on Monday, October 14, in Doha, Qatar, during thesixth round of peace talksfacilitated by the State of Qatar since April this year. The agreement established a joint mechanism to monitor and verify compliance with theceasefirebetween the two conflicting parties.
The agreement stemmed from theDeclaration of Principlessigned on July 19. The declaration outlined commitments such as apermanent ceasefireand therelease of prisonersas confidence-building measures aimed at paving the way for broader political and security arrangements.
However, despite the commitments, fighting in the eastern region has persisted. The AFC/M23 has repeatedly accused the Congolese government and its allied forces, including Burundian troops, foreign mercenaries, the Congolese-backed genocidal militia FDLR, as well as Wazalendo and Mai-Mai groups of continuing attacks on rebel-held territories and civilian areas.
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The movement now says that fresh bombings took place immediately after the signing of the new agreement.
URGENT
L'Alliance Fleuve Congo / Mouvement du 23 Mars (AFC/M23) porte à la connaissance de la communauté nationale et internationale que, conformément à ses pratiques habituelles, les forces coalisées du régime de Kinshasa ont lancé d'intenses bombardements sur des zones...
— Lawrence KANYUKA (@LawrenceKanyuka)October 15, 2025
“In accordance with its usual practices, the coalition forces of the Kinshasa regime launched intense bombardments on densely populated areas and on our positions in South Kivu and North Kivu, just hours after the signing of a ceasefire protocol in Doha on October 14, 2025,” said the movement’s spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, in a statement released on his official X account.
“At the same time, this coalition carried out ground assaults against several of our positions, notably in Kadasomwa, Lumbishi, and Kasake, among others. The warlike regime in Kinshasa continues to endanger the lives of civilian populations and hinder any peace process,” the statement added.
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