Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, the rebel leader of the Convention for the Popular Revolution (CRP) operating in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has reaffirmed a ceasefire following a meeting with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Entebbe. Lubanga announced the decision in a statement issued on Saturday, October 10, a day after meeting Museveni and a delegation of Congolese government and military officials involved in efforts to restore peace in the conflict-hit northeastern DRC.
The meeting, held on Friday, October 9, brought together representatives of the CRP and senior Congolese officials, including Lt Gen Jacques Kyaligonza Nduru, deputy chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), and Maj Gen Evariste Kakule Somo, military governor of North Kivu. Also present was Maj Gen Gaby Kasongo Mulumba Batoka, military governor of Ituri Province, where Lubanga’s movement operates.
Ugandan officials, including the country’s ambassador to the DRC, Farid M. Kaliisa, and its chargé d’affaires in the DRC, Jeannette, attended the meeting. Cyrille Muhindo Mbugheki, an expert on peace and security in northeastern DRC, also participated. Museveni had not issued an official statement on the meeting by the time of publication, although State House Entebbe released a group photograph of the participants.
In his statement, Lubanga directed the CRP’s executive secretary responsible for defence and the chief of general staff to oversee implementation of the ceasefire within their respective areas of responsibility. He said the order took effect on the date of its signature and reaffirmed the movement’s commitment to halting hostilities against the Congolese government.
Lubanga said the October 9 meeting had agreed to resume, after two weeks, a pre-dialogue process initiated in April 2026. He added that the facilitation team had recommended that the parties refrain from armed confrontation to build trust and confidence ahead of the dialogue. The ceasefire announcement comes amid persistent insecurity in eastern DRC, where numerous armed groups operate and efforts to negotiate an end to the fighting have repeatedly faced challenges.
Lubanga is a former warlord who rose to prominence during the violent conflicts that engulfed Ituri in the early 2000s. He served as a military commander and defence minister in the Congolese Rally for Democracy–Liberation Movement (RCD-ML) before founding the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) in 2001. After breaking away from the RCD-ML, he became president of the UPC in September 2002 and established its military wing, the Patriotic Force for the Liberation of the Congo (FPLC).
The latest ceasefire declaration could provide an opportunity to revive dialogue between Lubanga’s movement and the Congolese government. However, its significance will depend on whether the parties honour the cessation of hostilities and agree on a framework for negotiations. Neither Museveni nor the Congolese government had publicly detailed the terms of the Entebbe meeting by the time of publication.
Key points
- Lubanga declares ceasefire following meeting with Museveni
- The ceasefire aims to halt hostilities against the Congolese government
- The significance of the ceasefire depends on implementation and sustained engagement between parties
