from JEAN KASSONGO in Kinshasa, DRC
KINSHASA, (CAJ News) – AFTER Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) signed an agreement to draft a peace deal, now is the moment to break the vicious cycle of conflict that has condemned generations of civilians to endless suffering, loss and displacement.
This is according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), whose president, Mirjana Spoljaric, has concluded a three-day visit to the DRC.
“Humanitarian steps taken now to protect civilians would not only save lives today but also lay the foundation for the long-term stability that communities desperately need and deserve,” Spoljaric said.
As a neutral intermediary, the ICRC began accompanying hundreds of disarmed Congolese soldiers and police officers as well as their families from Goma to Kinshasa on April 30.
This operation, which crosses frontlines and spans close to 2 000 kilometres, is being conducted at the request of the DRC government, the United Nations mission (MONUSCO), and the Congo River Alliance/M23 Movement.
Over 800 people have been brought to Kinshasa so far as part of the operation.
“I hope this operation can create momentum for further humanitarian agreements that tangibly reduce suffering. The ICRC stands ready to support such agreements as a neutral intermediary,” Spoljaric said.
During her visit to the eastern DRC, she met leaders from DRC and Rwanda, as well as with leadership and volunteers of the Rwanda Red Cross Society and the DRC Red Cross Society.
Ongoing conflict has fuelled a wider crisis in the Great Lakes region with millions of people displaced from their homes within DRC and across its borders.
Since January 2025, ICRC-supported medical facilities have received over 2,000 wounded patients, the vast majority of whom are civilians
“We must never see this level of suffering as an inevitable consequence of conflict,” said Spoljaric.
– CAJ News