AFC/M23, ICRC sign deal on transfer of FARDC soldiers
AFC/M23 agrees with the ICRC to hand over captured FARDC soldiers, as Kinshasa demands identity checks before accepting their return.
The AFC/M23 rebel movement has signed an agreement with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to facilitate the transfer of captured soldiers from the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), according to sources familiar with the deal.
The agreement, concluded between April 11 and 12, outlines a process under which FARDC soldiers currently held by AFC/M23 will first be handed over to the ICRC before being repatriated to the government in Kinshasa.
According to Radio France Internationale (RFI), the deal concerns an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 Congolese soldiers.
Sources indicate that a number of those already transferred to the ICRC are minors, raising additional humanitarian concerns. The ICRC is expected to facilitate their return to Congolese authorities in line with international humanitarian standards.
However, the process has encountered logistical and political hurdles. Reports suggest that there is a lack of adequate infrastructure to temporarily accommodate the remaining detainees. In addition, authorities in Democratic Republic of the Congo have yet to formally accept the transfer of all individuals.
Government sources cited by RFI say that before receiving the soldiers, Kinshasa insists on verifying their identities. This requirement has reportedly been communicated to AFC/M23 during ongoing discussions between the two parties in Montreux, Switzerland.
