The recent transfer of fifteen prisoners to the Alliance of Congolese Patriots for a Free and Sovereign Congo (AFC)/M23 is far from an isolated incident. This pivotal operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo follows a previously signed, largely confidential protocol established four months prior near Montreux, involving the AFC/M23 and the International Committee of the Red Cross (CICR). This document ultimately paved the way for this initial prisoner movement. However, this protocol itself wasn’t the first attempt at such an arrangement; an earlier deadline in April had passed without any releases. This makes the successful transfer of these fifteen individuals a critical real-world test for a process already marked by numerous missed opportunities and delays.

These fifteen men had been held in Beni for several weeks before their presence in the city was noted, though the exact circumstances of their arrival remained obscure at the time. Their detention had extended over several months. The CICR, whose mandate strictly covers the transport and handover of individuals once they are gathered at a designated point, had not yet become involved. According to insights from those close to the situation, the institution only intervenes once individuals are physically consolidated, not before. The specific route and method by which these fifteen men were transported from Kinshasa to Beni continues to be unclear. The same source suggested that governmental coordination for this particular leg of the journey might not have been optimal, without providing further details.