The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has reaffirmed its commitment to play a central role in facilitating the release of detainees connected to the ongoing conflict between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Congo River Alliance/M23 Movement (AFC/M23).
In a statement following the signing of the Mechanism for the Liberation of Detainees, the ICRC welcomed the agreement and pledged its full support to ensure the process is implemented effectively.
“We are ready to contribute to facilitating the liberation of these detainees, in accordance with the accord concluded between the parties thanks to Qatar’s mediation,” the organization said, emphasizing its neutral and humanitarian approach to the process.
ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric highlighted the organization’s role in helping detainees from both sides return safely to their families. “Humanitarian initiatives such as detainee releases are often the first steps that can build confidence and trust between parties in the long path to peace,” she said.
President Spoljaric also drew attention to the broader humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC, noting that “the brutal conflict has trapped generations of civilians in a decades-long cycle of suffering, death, and displacement.”
”This declaration mediated by Qatar, combined with last month’s agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda in Washington, DC, creates an important opportunity for the region to chart a new future rooted in peace and stability.”
The ICRC has already demonstrated its capacity as a neutral intermediary. Between 30 April and 15 May, it facilitated the transportation of more than 1,300 disarmed members of the DRC government forces and their families from Goma to Kinshasa—a nearly 2,000-kilometre journey across frontline territories.
This operation was conducted at the request of the DRC Ministry of Defence and Veterans, MONUSCO, and the Congo River Alliance/M23, highlighting the organization’s trusted role in complex humanitarian logistics.
During her visit to Rwanda and DRC in May, President Spoljaric met with the leadership of both countries, offering the ICRC’s continued support as a neutral humanitarian intermediary in implementing these agreements.
The declaration of principles signed in Qatar represents the latest effort to formalize humanitarian initiatives with ICRC backing, aiming to ensure detainee releases and related measures are conducted according to international standards.
Having operated in the DRC since 1978, the ICRC has provided protection and assistance to countless victims of armed conflict, establishing itself as a steadfast partner in efforts to alleviate human suffering and foster long-term stability in the region.