DR Congo: Deadline elapses for prisoner release
The deadline for prisoner exchange between the Congolese government and AFC/M23 has passed without implementation, adding to a growing list of commitments under Qatar-mediated peace process that remain unmet.
The exchange was agreed during the ninth round of peace talks held in Montreux, Switzerland from April 13-17. The two parties agreed on April 26 as the deadline for the release of 311 AFC/M23 detainees held by the government and 166 prisoners held by the rebel movement that controls in Goma city in eastern DR Congo.
However, as of Tuesday, April 28, no exchange had taken place.
AFC/M23 spokesperson Oscar Balinda said that the movement had finalised preparations and was awaiting the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), mandated to facilitate the process.
“We have completed preparations to release those held on our side and we are waiting for the ICRC to proceed with their transfer to Kinshasa,” Balinda said on Tuesday.
He added that there had been no communication regarding detainees held by the government.
“As for our people detained in Kinshasa, the deadline passed without any update shared with us,” he said.
The delay comes just days after both parties reaffirmed commitments under the November 2025 Doha Framework for a Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Prisoner exchange is seen as one of the key confidence-building measures.
Balinda said the latest setback reflects a broader pattern of non-compliance on the government part.
“We have roughly released 8000 of Kinshasa prisoners at different times. These are Congolese, and if they choose to go back to their homes and families, we cannot keep holding them in our controlled areas as prisoners,” he noted
“The failure to implement this commitment by the Kinshasa regime speaks to their continuous failure to adhere to their commitments for peace.”
Despite the missed deadline, the movement says it remains committed to implementing its obligations in pursuit of a peaceful resolution to the war that began in late 2021.
The prisoner exchange is one of three initial protocols out of eight expected to lead to a final peace agreement. None of the three, including a ceasefire and humanitarian access, has been implemented so far.
Balinda also accused government forces of continuing hostilities.
“Nothing significant has changed since the talks in Switzerland because the government continues to attack us. We hope the ceasefire verification team can speed up the process to observe the ceasefire,” he said.
Under the Doha peace process, the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism (EJVM+) is expected to oversee ceasefire compliance, but its members have yet to be deployed.
