Qatar is hosting renewed talks between the DRC government and M23 rebels to rescue a stalled ceasefire, as violence and displacement continue to surge in eastern Congo.
Peace efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have resumed in Doha, where government representatives and the M23 militia are meeting to salvage a faltering ceasefire amid renewed fighting in the country’s east.
Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed al-Ansari confirmed on Tuesday that delegations from both sides had arrived in Doha to review the terms of a July agreement, Aljazeera reported.
“We’ve received the two parties here in Doha to discuss the earlier agreement,” foreign ministry spokesman al-Ansari said during a regular press briefing. He explained that the current round of talks focused on creating “a mechanism of monitoring the ceasefire, alongside [an] exchange of prisoners and detainees”.
The deal, brokered by Qatar, was intended to pave the way for a permanent end to the conflict in North and South Kivu. Talks were set to begin on 8 August and conclude by 18 August, but both deadlines passed without progress, and violence has since escalated.
Al-Ansari stressed that negotiations are ongoing and coordinated with the United States and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Washington has played a parallel role in the crisis, brokering a June ceasefire between the DRC and Rwanda. That deal was rejected by the M23, which has demanded direct talks with Kinshasa over what it calls unresolved political grievances.
Qatar-led peace effort falters as DR Congo and M23 miss negotiation deadline
Despite mediation efforts, fighting continues. Recent clashes between the Congolese army and the M23 have cast doubt on the viability of any agreement.
Rights groups have reported severe abuses. Human Rights Watch has accused the M23 of ethnically targeted “mass killings”, while United Nations experts say Rwandan forces have played a “critical” role in supporting the rebels – allegations Kigali denies.
The humanitarian toll is mounting. Aid agencies say more than two million people have been displaced in North and South Kivu this year. “It is far from the reality to say that [the war] has ended,” said Christian Rumu of Amnesty International, warning that ongoing violations “amount to crimes against humanity”.
Eastern Congo, rich in gold, cobalt, and coltan, has long been a flashpoint for armed uprisings and regional tensions. The M23’s seizure of key areas, including the strategic city of Goma earlier this year, has fuelled fears of a wider regional conflict. By Nassima Babassa, Doha News
