Description: The Congolese government and representatives from the M23 rebel movement have signed a ceasefire monitoring agreement in Doha, accomplishing one out of the two major sticking points in incorporating the peace platform. According to the agreement, an independent body would be formed consisting of representatives from the 12 – country International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, M23 rebels, the Congolese government and supervisors from Qatar, The US and the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO. The independent ceasefire monitoring body would be tasked with investigating ceasefire violations across the country, and it would oversee the stable implementation of the peace initiative by communicating with all relevant parties in the conflict. M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka stated that the agreement represented a significant development in devising means to implement the peace agreement and the declaration of principles signed by DRC, Rwanda and M23 rebels earlier this year.
Impact: The ceasefire monitoring agreement despite being one of the most significant developments in forwarding the peace initiative in the DRC lacks concrete mechanisms for enforcement of the provisions outlined in the previous agreements signed between the relevant stakeholders. The independent body has no executive authority to effectively prevent ceasefire violations and depends solely on the political goodwill and preparedness from the Congolese military and the M23 rebels to accept the organization’s role. The organization is based on the principle of implementing after the fact measures and investigating violations once they happen which further compromises its effectiveness in constructively bringing both warring parties closer to peace. M23 and the Congolese army would most likely adhere to the organization’s activities in the initial stages, however, the return to armed fighting would continue unless stricter measures are imposed to ensure the continuity of the hypothetical ceasefire. Major points of dispute also remain, such as territorial control, the disarmament of the rebel forces and the contested prisoner exchanges which further undermine the effectiveness and integrity of the independent ceasefire monitoring organization.