After years of bloodshed and broken accords, six armed groups operating in Ituri province in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have signed a peace protocol to cease hostilities.
The agreement was finalised over the weekend in Aru, north of Bunia, following five days of intercommunal dialogue supported by the UN’s MONUSCO mission.
Initially, four factions—including Codeco, FRPI, FPIC, and Tchini ya Tuna—signed the accord on 27 June, while two others abstained in protest over a deadly Codeco-led attack on an IDP camp. After Codeco acknowledged responsibility and pledged to investigate, the remaining groups also joined the peace pact.
All six signatories committed to halting violence immediately, ensuring free civilian movement, and engaging in official disarmament and demobilisation programmes. However, the path ahead remains uncertain. Previous agreements in Ituri have collapsed due to inadequate reintegration mechanisms, leaving former combatants impoverished and vulnerable to rearmament. For this new accord to hold, the Congolese government must urgently bolster demobilisation efforts and provide sustainable livelihoods to ex-militiamen, offering real hope of peace in a region long haunted by cycles of conflict.