Ruptly
"The AFC/M23 executive secretary Benjamin Mbonimpa stated on Wednesday that the movement will honour its obligations, but warned that mistrust and security concerns could hinder progress towards peace. This follows several days of negotiations with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Switzerland. "We are not responsible for their disengagement, but for our part, we will uphold our commitments," Mbonimpa stated at a press conference in Goma on Wednesday. He explained that previous withdrawals by the group had led to renewed violence against civilians. "We have observed that everywhere we withdrew, they returned and resumed committing abuses against civilian populations," he added. "We have resolved that we will no longer withdraw," he added. "We will remain alongside the population to ensure that the gains they have already achieved do not vanish like smoke." Mbonimpa said the talks with Kinshasa had resulted in an agreement to release prisoners within ten days, a key outcome of the meetings held in Montreux. The deal, announced last Sunday, also aims to facilitate humanitarian access and is being coordinated with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). "Each party to the conflict submitted lists of detainees. We provided a list of 778 prisoners affiliated with the M23, and the government also submitted its list," Mbonimpa said, adding that the ICRC had identified 311 individuals linked to M23 and 166 detainees listed by Kinshasa currently being held by the parties. "We are holding more than 4,000 members of the FARDC, including the 166 mentioned by Kinshasa. We are ready to release them and hand them over," he added. Despite the agreement, significant disagreements remain, particularly over the reopening of Goma airport, a strategic hub in the conflict-affected east. "Security is a key concern […] We need guarantees, with mediation and involvement from the international community. Everyone must participate so that we can move forward with reopening the airport," he noted. Representatives from Kinshasa and M23 said after the Montreux talks that they had made "substantial progress toward conclusion of a protocol on humanitarian access and judicial protection," according to a joint statement released on April 17. 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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