🇶🇦 Doha Pushes Draft Peace Deal to Kinshasa and M23 Rebels as Violence Persists

Doha confirmed it has shared a draft agreement with Congo’s government and M23 rebels, though violence continues in the east.

Zig Diaries | Diplomacy
Date: Monday, 18 August 2025
Time: 08:45 WAT
Location: 📍 Doha, Qatar

Qatar says it has circulated a draft peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebels, but fighting is escalating as the agreed deadline for a truce lapses.

A Qatari official on Sunday confirmed that a draft agreement aimed at ending hostilities between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group has been handed to both parties.

The official, involved in the mediation efforts, admitted challenges persist but urged the warring sides to seize the opportunity through dialogue and genuine commitment. The development comes after the 18 August deadline set last month for a peace deal expired without a final accord.

According to the official, “both parties have responded positively to the facilitator and expressed a willingness to continue negotiations,” despite missing the roadmap target outlined in the Declaration of Principles signed on 19 July in Qatar. That document had required talks to begin by 8 August and conclude by Monday.

The M23, which resurfaced in late 2021, has seized large swathes of territory in eastern Congo, including the major cities of Goma and Bukavu earlier this year, where it set up parallel administrations. The resurgence has triggered a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Qatar, the mediator, said it is currently hosting a follow-up session in Doha to ensure implementation of the July declaration and to press for a final agreement. Neither Kinshasa nor the M23 have publicly reacted to the latest statements.

On the battlefield, however, violence has intensified. The Congolese army on Tuesday accused M23 fighters of mounting multiple attacks on its positions around Mulamba, an eastern town where frontlines had been largely static since March.

The United Nations reports that more than two million people have been displaced since January across North and South Kivu provinces, underscoring the stakes of the stalled peace effort.

Fact Check & Background:
The M23 rebellion first erupted in 2012 when disgruntled Congolese soldiers mutinied, alleging mistreatment. 

After being briefly defeated in 2013, the group re-emerged in 2021, this time with greater firepower and alleged Rwandan backing - an accusation Kigali denies. 

The latest flare-ups coincide with Congo’s strained relations with Rwanda and broader regional instability in the Great Lakes.

🏷️ Tags: Qatar, Democratic Republic of Congo, M23, Peace Talks, Rwanda, Diplomacy, Conflict, Humanitarian Crisis
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