DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Congo and Rwanda-backed rebels have signed a declaration of principles for a permanent ceasefire in eastern Congo, where ethnic tensions and quest for rich minerals have resulted in one of Africa’s longest conflicts with thousands killed this year.

M23 forcing local alliances in Congo. Unlike in 2012, when the M23 took Goma in a campaign led by Kinyarwanda-speaking fighters pushing mainly for their full integration into the Congolese army ...

The Democratic Republic of Congo and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel militia have signed a new ceasefire agreement, bringing a halt to the massive violence that has ravaged the DRC’s mineral-rich eastern region for months.

The Congolese government continues its military offensives despite ongoing peace efforts in Doha, Qatar, the AFC/M23 rebellion informed the national and international community, on July 17, reiterating its “determination to protect civilian populations and eliminate any threat at its source.

As the Senate prepares to take up the rescissions package, lawmakers should remember: Peacekeeping isn’t charity, it’s strategy.

The Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, and Rwanda President Paul Kagame have expressed displeasure over the latest report by the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo.