Foreign ministers from the DRC and Rwanda approved a concept of operations – a strategy under which Rwandan troops will disengage from Congolese territory, Angola’s foreign ministry said. A previous draft of the plan in August set out the dismantling of a militia created by former ethnic Hutu leaders involved in the Rwandan genocide in 1994 as a precondition for Rwanda withdrawing its troops.

Often portrayed by Rwanda as a threat to its security, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda is one of several militias fighting alongside the Congolese armed forces against forces from the M23 group which is alleged to have backing from Rwanda.

Since 2021, the M23 has seized swathes of the eastern DRC, displacing thousands and creating a humanitarian crisis. In August, Angola mediated a truce that stabilised the situation at the front line. But since the end of October, reports have emerged of ceasefire violations. Earlier this month, officials from the DRC and Rwanda started a committee – chaired by Angolan diplomats – to monitor the skirmishes.

The violence in North Kivu is driven by complex rivalries along ethnic, religious and political lines – with Rwanda and Uganda accused of backing rebel groups to expand their influence and gain access to valuable resources in eastern DRC. About six million people have been killed by fighting in the region since 1996, making it one of the deadliest conflicts in global history.

A report commissioned by the UN Security Council found that between 3,000 to 4,000 Rwandan soldiers were fighting alongside the M23 rebels in North Kivu, with Kigali exercising “de facto” control over the group’s operations.

Analysts warn that failure to adequately address the conflict may cause massive instability in central and East Africa that could pave the way for Chinese or Russian involvement and further expansion of Islamist terrorists. The UN has also highlighted alarming levels of violence against civilians, and particularly against women and girls.