UN to deploy ceasefire monitoring mission in Congo, Qatar says

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo is set to deploy its first team to monitor a ceasefire between the government and the AFC/M23 rebel group in the coming days, Qatar's foreign ministry said on Monday following talks in Doha.

According to Qatar, the monitoring team will be sent to Uvira, a strategic city in eastern Congo. 

AFC/M23 fighters captured Uvira in December during a swift offensive, before Congolese forces and allied militias regained control last month after the rebels announced a withdrawal.

The announcement late Monday is a sign of progress in Doha-mediated direct talks between Congo and the AFC/M23 rebels, who last year seized more land than they had ever held before in eastern Congo. 

The Qatari foreign ministry said on Monday that Congo and M23 had agreed on detailed terms of reference for the ceasefire monitoring mechanism created under an agreement reached in October, and reaffirmed their commitments under the broader peace deal framework signed in November.

Efforts to activate the monitoring mechanism come as fighting continues to flare in parts of eastern Congo, underlining the fragility of the ceasefire.