Weeks after finalizing a peace deal with Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has taken another step toward ending years of conflict by signing a ceasefire with M23 rebels in North Kivu. The agreement, reached Saturday in Qatar, comes in the form of a “Statement of Intent” committing both sides to protect civilians and uphold the sovereignty of the Congolese state.
Yet, the mood on the ground in Goma—the North Kivu provincial capital still largely under control of M23 rebels backed by Rwanda—is far from optimistic.
Congolese journalist and pan-African activist Maude-Salomé Ekila reflects the deep-rooted doubts of many citizens and analysts who have witnessed a cycle of broken promises and failed accords over the years.
“This is just another repetition of a familiar pattern,” said Ekila. “A system of international predation has been sustained for decades to exploit Congo’s natural resources, and every tool—be it military, political, or diplomatic—is used to protect that agenda. We keep forgetting that this is the real issue.”
To her and many local observers, the new ceasefire is less a step toward peace and more an admission of the Congolese state’s weakened capacity to defend its sovereignty. Ekila pointed to the degraded state of the national defense system and the military advantage held by M23, bolstered by Rwandan support.
“We are negotiating from a position of extreme vulnerability,” she told Africanews. “What are we really agreeing to here? And will we even be able to meet the deadlines laid out in the communiqué?”
The central issue, Ekila insists, is a lack of justice. The repeated failure to hold actors accountable has created a dangerous precedent where peace deals become tools of delay rather than resolution.
“As long as those responsible know they can act with impunity—knowing that there will be new deals and no real consequences—we will remain stuck in a vicious cycle,” she explained. “Justice has repeatedly been sacrificed, whether for peace or so-called democracy, and that keeps the system of predation intact.”
The Statement of Intent is effective immediately, with a timeline that demands rapid progress: direct peace negotiations are set to begin by August 8, with a comprehensive peace accord to be finalized by August 18. These talks will build on last month’s DRC-Rwanda agreement signed in Washington.
However, many experts and observers remain doubtful that the ambitious timeline will be met, given the history of broken commitments and the entrenched interests at play.
As the deadline approaches, the Congolese people watch with cautious hope—and lingering distrust.
