KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Aid group Oxfam said Monday the signing of a peace deal between the rebel March 23 Movement and the DRC government isn't the end to regional conflict.
"The Congolese government needs to rapidly adopt a strong and comprehensive disarmament, demobilization and reintegration program to provide alternatives to war and fighting for combatants," Oxfam's humanitarian coordinator Tariq Riebl said in a statement from DRC. "Regional governments and international partners must also support this by resourcing, deploying and expanding existing mechanisms to encourage voluntary disarmament."
M23 last week agreed to end its campaign against the government in the Democratic Republic of Congo. M23 consists of former rebels integrated into the military who mutinied last week, complaining the DRC government broke a truce reached in 2009.
Oxfam said, however, M23 is just one of 30 other armed groups operating in the region, warning the conflict is "far from over."
M23 is suspected of committing war crimes in its campaign. The International Committee of the Red Cross last week said it treated 30 DRC soldiers wounded during simmering fighting with M23 near the border with Rwanda.
Rwanda is suspected of backing M23, an allegation it denies.
The M23 peace deal was brokered from neighboring Uganda with the help of regional and international delegates.
