The people released by Kinshasa
GOMA — The AFC-M23 has questioned the release of 15 prisoners by the Kinshasa government under the Doha peace process, saying only nine of those released were on its list of detainees submitted to the mediation.
The 15 people were transferred to Bunagana on August 7 with the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), after being released by the Kinshasa government.
The AFC-M23 said the detainees had been held in several facilities, including Makala Prison, Ndolo Prison and an ANR detention facility.
The group said nine of the 15 released were among 768 names it had submitted to the mediation process.
It said one of the other six is a Ugandan national with no connection to AFC-M23, while the remaining five, who were arrested in Katanga, Ituri and Kinshasa, do not appear on the list submitted by the group.
Separately, information attributed to the ICRC indicates that 311 prisoners had been identified for release. Of the 15 released by Kinshasa, only nine were reportedly on that list. One was identified as Ugandan, while five were not identified among the 311 detainees.
ICRC officials liaise with AFC-M23, Ugandan and Congolese government officials during hand over
The discrepancy has raised questions about the implementation of the prisoner-release arrangements under the Doha process.
AFC-M23 said the latest releases showed that its list of 768 detainees could not be considered exhaustive, particularly as Congolese citizens accused of having links to the movement continue to be arrested.
The group welcomed the release of the 15 prisoners but described it as insufficient.
It said Kinshasa should release all Congolese citizens identified by AFC-M23 who remain in detention, as well as members of the movement who are still being held.
The group also demanded that Kinshasa provide a complete and updated list of all detainees awaiting release, together with a clear timetable for their release.
The issue puts further pressure on the Doha mediation, which is seeking to implement agreements between the two sides aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
AFC-M23 also accused Kinshasa of intensifying bombardments in recent days, including attacks on densely populated areas and civilians in areas controlled by the movement.
It said such actions violated commitments under the cease-fire and prisoner-release protocols.
Despite the accusations, AFC-M23 said it remained committed to the peace process and urged Kinshasa to honor the agreements it had signed.
The movement also said that, for nearly a year, it had made available to the ICRC several thousand soldiers and combatants belonging to Kinshasa-aligned forces, mainly FARDC and Wazalendo fighters, for transfer to Kinshasa.
According to AFC-M23, Kinshasa has so far refused to receive them.
The 15 released prisoners were transported from Beni through Uganda before arriving in Bunagana. AFC-M23 thanked the ICRC for facilitating the transfer and Uganda for assisting the detainees during their transit.
The latest dispute over the identities of those released highlights the difficulties facing the prisoner-release component of the Doha process, even as the mediation seeks to build confidence between the two sides.
