The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the M23 rebel group have signed a declaration of principles in Qatar to end fighting in eastern Congo. The agreement, reached on Saturday in Doha, follows weeks of talks between representatives of both sides.
The decades-long conflict has roots in the 1994 Rwandan genocide and has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands this year. M23 is primarily composed of ethnic Tutsi fighters, and its involvement has been supported by Rwanda, with Western powers accusing the country of providing troops and arms to the group.
However, Rwanda denies any involvement, stating that its forces are acting in self-defence against the DRC’s army and ethnic Hutu fighters linked to the 1994 genocide. The African Union sees the deal as a “significant development” and has praised it as a major milestone in efforts to achieve lasting peace, security, and stability in eastern DR Congo.
The agreement does not address key questions regarding Rwandan and M23 withdrawals from eastern DR Congo but emphasizes the importance of restoring state authority on all national territories. Negotiations for a peace agreement are set to begin by August 8, with parties given less than two weeks to finalize a deal if they stick to their new deadline.
The signing comes after a surprise meeting between DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame in March, during which they called for an “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire. The agreement follows earlier direct talks between the DRC and M23 in Doha.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/19/dr-congo-m23-rebels-sign-deal-in-qatar-to-end-fighting-in-eastern-congo