Qatar has welcomed the first field verification mission of the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism Plus (+EJVM) in the Minembwe area of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, describing it as the first practical step towards fully operationalising the ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism signed in Doha last October.
The mission was carried out on Monday under the Doha Process.
Qatar said the deployment was a tangible manifestation of the two parties’ commitments under the Declaration of Principles signed in Doha in July last year and the Framework Agreement signed in November, and showed that the agreed monitoring structure was capable of carrying out its functions on the ground where the necessary will and co-operation were present.
It thanked the DRC government and the Alliance Fleuve Congo-March 23 Movement (AFC/M23) for their co-operation in facilitating the verification team’s safe and unhindered access.