15 Detainees Transferred to AFC/M23 Under Doha Agreement

Goma, 7 August 2026 - Fifteen people detained by authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been transferred to the AFC/M23 coalition in an operation facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) under the terms of the Doha agreement.

The detainees had been held in Beni, North Kivu, for more than a month. On the evening of 6 August, they were evacuated and transported through Uganda, following arrangements agreed by the parties. They subsequently entered Rutshuru Territory, an area controlled by AFC/M23, where they were formally handed over on the morning of 7 August.

The operation was conducted in coordination with health authorities and included measures aimed at preventing the spread of Ebola, amid an outbreak threat affecting parts of North Kivu under government control.

The ICRC said the transfer could provide relief to families separated from their relatives and potentially support further prisoner releases agreed during negotiations. The organization stressed that it acted strictly as a neutral humanitarian intermediary, facilitating the movement and handover of released detainees without taking sides in the conflict.

The transfer follows a September 2025 agreement reached in Doha, Qatar, between the DRC government and AFC/M23 that included provisions for humanitarian access and the release of detainees. In May 2025, the ICRC had also facilitated the transfer of more than 1,300 people, including Congolese soldiers, police officers and their families, from AFC/M23-controlled areas to Kinshasa.

The status of the 15 people transferred on 7 August was not immediately clear, including whether they were civilians or combatants. They were reportedly not among AFC/M23 leaders sentenced to death.

The ICRC reiterated that international humanitarian law requires detainees to be treated humanely and protected throughout their detention.