On 17 July 2024, the United States of America announced a 15-day extension of the humanitarian truce in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The statement, signed by Matthew Miller, the US Department of Defense spokesman, will see the agreement last until 3 August 2024. On 5 July 2024, the U.S. brokered a peace deal between the government of DRC and Rwanda-backed March 23 Movement (M23) rebels. Both parties agreed to cease hostilities to enable the return of displaced people and improved access for humanitarian personnel in the region, particularly in Kanya Bayonga. The initial truce expired on 19 July 2024.

Long-standing geopolitical tensions between Rwanda and DRC began in 1994 after the Kigali accused Hutu rebels, also known as Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) based in the eastern DRC, of participating in the Rwandan genocide which left over 800,000 Tutsis and Hutus killed. In 2012, the Congolese Tutsi-led M23 emerged and was defeated in 2013 by the Congolese troops with the help of multinational forces, prompting them to flee and seek refuge in neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda. However, they resurfaced in late 2021 with violent attacks and have since gained control over many parts of the eastern DRC.

While the political landscape in the Great Lakes region has remained volatile, with authorities in DRC accusing Rwanda and Uganda governments of supporting M23 rebels, thousands of civilians, including aid workers have been killed in the ongoing conflict. Both international organizations and local NGOs have condemned the escalating violence in the region, which has significantly impeded humanitarian access. The initial truce reportedly brought a temporary calm to the frontlines, including reduced fighting. Yet, `on 16 July 2024, ceasefire violations in Bweremana of North Kivu province led to the death of three civilians with many injured. Moreover, these violations may have defeated the purpose of the truce, as many civil society organisations allege no humanitarian aid, including food, was delivered during the period. This incident does not come as a shock as there is a history of repeated ceasefire violations by both parties. As M23 continues its territorial expansion in North Kivu, UN experts have opined that a rapid escalation of the violence could potentially trigger a wider regional conflict.

The protracted fighting between M23 rebels and DRC Armed Forces (FARDC) and allied militia groups like Wazalendo have claimed the lives of thousands of civilians by indiscriminate shelling and bombings, explosive devices, and small arms fire. Human Rights Watch (HRW) have documented incidents of human rights violations, war crimes and gender-based violence by the Tutsi-led M23 rebel group. By July 2024, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) recorded more than 170 incidents directly targeting humanitarian workers, with at least four deaths and 20 injuries since the start of 2024. Despite prioritizing the use of force, President Felix Tshisekedi has failed to defeat the M23 in eastern DRC.

Regional efforts to restore peace in the country have included several attempts by the EAC to de-escalate tensions through dialogue and the deployment of regional forces, which ended in December 2023. Described by local civil society organisations as a “hypocritical gesture and a distraction”, the latest truce brokered by Western powers offers the potential to restore peace in the region and could facilitate the implementation of the “Nairobi and Luanda processes”, recognized by concerned parties as a means to achieving peace and stability in DRC.