Lull in DR Congo fighting after ceasefire proposal

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Fighting between government troops and the Rwandan-backed M23 force in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has tailed off following a ceasefire proposal from mediator Angola, military and security sources told AFP Thursday.

The east of the country, bordering Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, a conflict zone since 2021, is where M23 made advances in early 2025, capturing major cities such as Goma and Bukavu and large swathes of territory.

Days after Rwanda and the DRC signed a US-brokered peace deal in Washington late last year, the M23 seized another major city, Uvira, provoking an angry response from the United States.

Angola, another mediator in the conflict, proposed a ceasefire to the DRC and Rwanda from last Wednesday, which Kinshasa accepted "in principle", while not confirming that date.

The M23 on the other hand has accused the government of "delaying tactics and attempts at manipulation" to avoid serious attempts to resolve the conflict.

On Thursday, local and security sources said the front line at Minembwe in South Kivu was calm, with M23 fighters having left their positions.

"But we don't know if this amounts to a withdrawal," said one local official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

It was a similar story along other parts of the front line, said security sources.

Since the resurgence of the M23 in 2021, half a dozen ceasefires and truces have been signed and broken.