Thirty-eight fighters from the M23 rebel group have surrendered to the Congolese army in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, military officials confirmed Monday, marking a potential turning point in a conflict that has devastated the region and displaced millions.

The group—comprising civilians, soldiers, and police officers allegedly abducted and forcibly conscripted by M23—turned themselves in across North Kivu’s Kalehe district and South Kivu province. Among them were two officers. Army commander Colonel Jean-Paul Lihale described the development as “welcome,” urging other combatants to follow suit. “Lay down your arms and choose peace over destruction,” he said.

The surrender comes one week after the DRC government and M23 signed a Qatar-mediated agreement to establish an international oversight body aimed at securing a permanent ceasefire. The pact builds on a July “declaration of principles” designed to restore state authority in the east, where M23 has held sway since its resurgence in 2022.

M23, widely regarded as the most powerful among more than 100 armed groups operating in the region, has seized vast territories rich in cobalt and coltan. Its campaign has intensified what the United Nations calls “one of the most protracted, complex and serious humanitarian crises on Earth,” with over 7 million people internally displaced and 25 million at risk of famine due to ongoing violence and flooding.

Surrendering fighters cited exhaustion and coercion. “We were taken from our homes; now we want to return,” one former recruit told AFP anonymously. Brigadier General Sylvain Ekenge, spokesperson for the Congolese army, welcomed the defections as “progress toward peace,” while acknowledging the challenges of reintegrating former combatants.