The rebel alliance Alliance Fleuve Congo / March 23 Movement (AFC/M23) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have signed an agreement to facilitate the transfer of thousands of government soldiers from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to the capital, Kinshasa.
According to Radio France Internationale (RFI), the agreement was signed at the end of last week, just days before peace talks between representatives of the Congolese government and AFC/M23 began in Switzerland on April 13, 2026.
In March 2026, AFC/M23 announced plans to release around 5,000 soldiers from the Congolese national army who had been captured during fighting in the eastern city of Goma earlier in the year. The group said the prisoners would be handed over to the ICRC.
However, the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo initially refused to receive the soldiers, citing concerns that enemy elements might infiltrate the country’s security institutions by blending in with the returning troops.
RFI reports that between 2,000 and 3,000 Congolese government soldiers are covered under the agreement between AFC/M23 and the ICRC, and that all of them have agreed to be transferred to Kinshasa.
Congolese authorities have indicated that before accepting the soldiers, each individual will undergo a screening process. The ICRC is currently waiting for the completion of these checks before facilitating their transfer to the capital.
