The Washington accords, Doha agreements, and Montreux commitments once raised high hopes. A recent United Nations expert report brings them back to reality, describing only “limited results.”
Withdrawals by the Rwandan Defence Force and the AFC/M23 amounted to little more than “tactical repositionings” of 15 to 20 kilometres. Meanwhile, Rwandan reinforcements—including anti-aircraft systems—continued to arrive until April 2026. No significant pullback was observed in the weeks that followed.
The Democratic Republic of Congo shares part of the blame for this failure. The report notes that Kinshasa did not fulfil its pledge to neutralise the FDLR, which continued to fight alongside the FARDC.
Experts also highlight internal divisions within the AFC/M23. While Corneille Nangaa and Joseph Kabila aimed to seize power in Kinshasa, most M23 military commanders opposed any operations beyond North Kivu and South Kivu. This rift between political ambitions and military realities undermines the movement’s coherence.
