DR Congo releases 15 prisoners to M23 rebels as part of Doha peace process
Al Jazeera
β’Fri, 07 Aug 2026 19:21:01 +0000
π° What Happened
The Democratic Republic of the Congo released 15 prisoners and handed them over to AFC/M23 rebels in North Kivu on Thursday and Friday, in the first known prisoner transfer under the Qatar-mediated deal agreed last year to end the region's fighting. The transfer was facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), with prisoners moved by convoy from government-held Beni through Uganda to Rutshuru Territory. ICRC operations chief in Kinshasa, Stephanie Eller, said she hoped the operation would pave the way for further releases and relieve families separated from loved ones.
π The Backstory
M23 seized the regional capitals of North and South Kivu in eastern DRC from government control in early 2025, sparking a major humanitarian and security crisis. The Qatar-mediated process has produced a framework peace deal and an economic outline between the DRC and Rwanda, but fighting between M23 and the army has persisted despite the diplomatic efforts. Prisoner exchanges are a confidence-building measure within a wider, still-fragile settlement that has yet to restore stability across eastern Congo.
π― Why It Matters
The handover is a tangible step under the faltering Doha peace process, signalling that both sides are willing to implement elements of a deal even as battlefield hostilities continue. For the wider region, progress on prisoner releases offers a rare concrete sign of movement in a conflict that has displaced millions and drawn in Rwanda. The story frames the peace process as fragile but not dead, with the ICRC's involvement underscoring the humanitarian dimension of the settlement.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo released 15 prisoners and handed them over to AFC/M23 rebels in North Kivu on Thursday and Friday, in the first known prisoner transfer under the Qatar-mediated deal agreed last year to end the region's fighting. The transfer was facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), with prisoners moved by convoy from government-held Beni through Uganda to Rutshuru Territory. ICRC operations chief in Kinshasa, Stephanie Eller, said she hoped the operation would pave the way for further releases and relieve families separated from loved ones.
M23 seized the regional capitals of North and South Kivu in eastern DRC from government control in early 2025, sparking a major humanitarian and security crisis. The Qatar-mediated process has produced a framework peace deal and an economic outline between the DRC and Rwanda, but fighting between M23 and the army has persisted despite the diplomatic efforts. Prisoner exchanges are a confidence-building measure within a wider, still-fragile settlement that has yet to restore stability across eastern Congo.
The handover is a tangible step under the faltering Doha peace process, signalling that both sides are willing to implement elements of a deal even as battlefield hostilities continue. For the wider region, progress on prisoner releases offers a rare concrete sign of movement in a conflict that has displaced millions and drawn in Rwanda. The story frames the peace process as fragile but not dead, with the ICRC's involvement underscoring the humanitarian dimension of the settlement.