The assassination of journalist Wilondja Mazambi Fiston in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has reignited concerns about the implementation of peace agreements in eastern Congo.
This tragic event occurred just two weeks after the signing of a ceasefire declaration with the M23 rebel group, casting a shadow over efforts to stabilize the volatile region.
On Monday, the Congolese government “condemned in the strongest terms” this criminal act, which unfolds in a paradoxical context. Kinshasa had recently signed a declaration of principles with the M23 movement on July 19 in Doha, Qatar, aiming for a “permanent ceasefire and a comprehensive settlement of the conflict in eastern DRC.” Wilondja Mazambi Fiston, a journalist working for the Media Monitoring Center of the National Press Union of Congo (UNPC), was killed in Bukavu, a city authorities describe as “part of the national territory under occupation.”
Peace agreements put to the test
This assassination comes at a critical juncture for the stabilization of eastern Congo. The Doha document, concluded after three months of direct talks facilitated by Qatar between Kinshasa and the M23, had stipulated “a permanent ceasefire, the release of prisoners, the return of refugees, and the restoration of state authority in the affected areas.” According to the established roadmap, the implementation of this agreement was expected before July 29, with a final agreement slated for signature by August 18, 2025. The DRC was represented in Doha by Sumbu Sita Mambu, and the M23 by Benjamin Mbonimpa.
This Doha declaration followed an earlier peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda, signed on June 27 in Washington under US mediation. That agreement had provided for “the cessation of hostilities, the gradual withdrawal of Rwandan troops, the disarmament of armed groups, and the return of displaced persons.”
The Congolese government strongly denounces a “context marked by the continued violation of fundamental rights in the occupied territories,” where “press freedom is seriously compromised by threats, kidnappings, and assassinations, particularly targeting journalists.” The government also points to “the systematic prevention of professional organizations from operating freely” in these areas.
Kinshasa has affirmed that “all criminal acts committed on national territory, including in occupied areas, are systematically documented” and that “their perpetrators, co-perpetrators, and accomplices will be held accountable for their actions before the courts.” The government also reaffirmed “his determination to restore state authority throughout the national territory and to guarantee, everywhere, the safety of journalists and the full exercise of press freedom.”
Eastern DRC has been plagued for decades by insecurity stemming from the presence of dozens of armed groups, including the Rwandan-backed M23, according to Kinshasa and several UN expert reports.
AC/Sf/fss/abj/APA