As fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) threatens to escalate further, the Rwandan-backed armed group M23 has declared a humanitarian ceasefire, effective Tuesday.

The declaration comes just days before a high-stakes crisis summit between Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, set to take place in Tanzania.

The ceasefire follows last week’s dramatic escalation, which saw M23 and Rwandan forces seize Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.

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While hostilities have subsided in Goma, home to over a million people, clashes have spread to neighbouring South Kivu province.

Local sources report that M23 and Rwandan forces are now near the mining town of Nyabibwe, approximately 70 kilometres from Bukavu airport, raising concerns of an advance on Bukavu, South Kivu’s capital.

Despite Tuesday’s ceasefire, reports indicate that both M23 and the Congolese army have been deploying reinforcements and military equipment.

In a statement on Monday, M23 claimed it had “no intention of taking control of Bukavu or other localities,” despite previously declaring an ambition to march toward Kinshasa.

The DRC has endured more than three decades of conflict, with M23’s resurgence exacerbating tensions between Kinshasa and Kigali. The United Nations has documented multiple ceasefires in the ongoing conflict, all of which have been short-lived.

The ceasefire follows warnings from international observers that continued violence could worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis.

The United Nations has urged the immediate reopening of Goma airport, calling it a “lifeline” for humanitarian operations. UN Humanitarian Coordinator Bruno Lemarquis stressed that without the airport, evacuating the wounded and delivering medical supplies would be severely hindered.

The humanitarian toll has been devastating. At least 900 people were killed and 2,880 injured in the recent fighting, according to the UN. Meanwhile, over half a million people have been displaced in North and South Kivu since January alone.

The UN Human Rights Council has scheduled a special session on Friday to address the crisis at the request of the Congolese government.

On Tuesday, around 75 Congolese and international NGOs called for investigations into alleged human rights abuses by all parties involved in the fighting.

In Kinshasa, tensions remain high as authorities restrict access to social media and ban protests following previous attacks on embassies.

However, anger has spread beyond the DRC’s borders. Hundreds of Congolese protesters gathered outside the European Union offices in Pretoria, South Africa, demanding sanctions against Rwanda.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed his country’s support for the DRC, despite growing pressure to withdraw troops after 14 South African soldiers were killed in the conflict. Their bodies are expected to be repatriated on Wednesday.

The DRC’s eastern regions are rich in valuable minerals, including coltan, gold, and other resources essential for global technology production.

A UN expert report published last year estimated that Rwanda had up to 4,000 troops in the DRC, allegedly to exploit these resources and maintain influence over M23. Rwanda denies military involvement, instead accusing Kinshasa of backing the FDLR, a militia composed of ethnic Hutu fighters linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

With tensions at a boiling point, the upcoming summit of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Dar es Salaam could prove critical in determining the next steps in this protracted conflict.

However, with a history of failed truces, there is little optimism that this ceasefire will bring lasting peace to the region.