'Necessary for protection of population' - AFC-M23, Geneva Call commit to humanitarian safeguards amid deepening crisis in eastern DRC

"The humanitarian organisation Geneva Call and the AFC-M23 movement have signed an agreement to establish a humanitarian dialogue and roadmap for the protection of the civilian population in North and South Kivu of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. "By signing this memorandum of understanding on humanitarian dialogue with your organisation, we are pleased to see today the necessary instruments for the protection of the population and for respect for international humanitarian law," said Corneille Nangaa, coordinator of AFC-M23, in a press briefing on Thursday. The memorandum of understanding, signed in Goma by Nangaa and Geneva Call’s executive director Alain Deletroz, aims to strengthen the protection of civilians and promote respect for international humanitarian law. "This memorandum of understanding aims to establish the formal framework for humanitarian dialogue between the Geneva Call and AFC/M23," said Delion Kimbulungu, Deputy Permanent Secretary of AFC/M23. Both parties affirm their commitment to quickly translate these commitments into concrete actions, notably through the implementation of a joint roadmap. "Today is not a day for speeches; it is simply to tell you that following this signing, the AFC is ready to begin this evening to implement the roadmap we will develop together, and especially to establish the various activities necessary for the protection of the civilian population and the consolidation of stability," Nangaa added. Clashes have continued in eastern DRC despite a ceasefire brokered by the United States and an accompanying economic agreement. Kinshasa has repeatedly accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebel movement, an allegation Kigali denies. On March 2, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Rwandan Defence Force and four senior commanders, accusing them of violating the Washington Accords by continuing to support M23 operations, including the capture of the eastern Congolese city of Uvira in December."

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