Congo and rebel groups agree a 3-day cease-fire ahead of the presidential vote, US says

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Congo’s security forces and rebel groups have agreed on a 72-hour cease-fire to de-escalate tensions in the country’s eastern region near the border with Rwanda, the White House announced just days before Congo’s presidential election.

The agreement was backed by both Congo and Rwanda, Adrienne Watson, a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, said in a statement Monday.

It said the agreement includes the withdrawal of forces occupying the locality of Mushaki and the RP1030 road in eastern Congo. The region has struggled with violent conflict for decades and armed groups fight either for control of mineral resources or to defend their communities. The most prominent is the M23 rebel group with links to Rwanda.

Neither Congo nor Rwanda has publicly commented on the cease-fire, which the White House said would also help “advance the implementation of the confidence-building measures to protect civilians” as Congo prepares for the Dec. 20 presidential election.

“The U.S. Government will use its intelligence and diplomatic resources to monitor the activities by armed forces and non-state armed groups during the cease-fire,” the statement added.

M23 rose to prominence 10 years ago when its fighters seized Goma, eastern Congo’s largest city on the border with Rwanda. Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi has often blamed Rwanda for destabilizing Congo by backing the rebels. U.N. experts have linked the rebels to Rwandan forces, but Rwanda denies it.

Tshisekedi, who seeks reelection as he faces several other candidates, had earlier said rebel-controlled territories might not participate in the vote for security reasons.

The top United Nations official in Congo warned on Monday that tensions between Congo and Rwanda have escalated, heightening the risk of a military confrontation. Congo’s government also insists on the withdrawal of U.N. and regional peacekeeping forces from the region, saying they’re ineffective, and some have started to leave the country.