The recent transfer of fifteen individuals is not an isolated event. Four months prior to these men embarking on their journey, a crucial protocol had been formalized near Montreux between the Alliance for the Control of Congo (AFC/M23) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). This largely confidential document ultimately paved the way for the current operation. However, this protocol itself was not the first attempt at progress in this matter; an earlier deadline in April had passed without any releases occurring. Thus, these fifteen men represent a live trial for a process already characterized by several missed opportunities and delays.

The fifteen detainees had been held in Beni for several weeks before their presence in the city became known, though the precise circumstances of their arrival remained unclear at the time. Their confinement had extended over many months. The ICRC, whose specific mandate is limited to facilitating transport and handover once individuals are gathered at a designated point, had not yet been involved. The institution only intervenes once individuals are physically assembled, not before this stage. The exact method by which these fifteen men were transported from Kinshasa to Beni remains ambiguous. Reports indicate that governmental coordination may not have been optimal during this complex logistical undertaking.