Foreign Affairs Minister, Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe, said the progress in talks between DRC and M23 is promising. File Photo.
There is renewed hope for peace in the Great Lakes Region following recent progress in negotiations between the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the AFC/M23 rebels.
In a significant move towards ending the long-standing conflict in eastern DRC, both the Congolese government and the M23 rebel group expressed a fresh commitment to peace after talks in Doha, Qatar. Rwanda welcomed this milestone after both parties issued optimistic statements.
“After frank and constructive discussions, representatives of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the AFC/M23 agreed to work towards a truce that would strengthen the ceasefire,” their joint statement read.
They reaffirmed their commitment to an immediate end to hostilities and to rejecting hate speech and intimidation. Both sides urged local communities to uphold these commitments, stating that they would lay the groundwork for meaningful dialogue and lasting peace in the DRC and the wider region.
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, acknowledged the progress, noting that while the delegations left Doha without a final agreement, the joint declaration signals cautious optimism.
“This joint declaration between the DRC government and the AFC/M23, under the auspices of Qatar, marks an important—possibly decisive—step towards lasting peace in eastern DRC, provided both sides implement it in good faith,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).
He added that Rwanda remains fully engaged in regional peace efforts, including other initiatives planned for April 2025.
This marked the first time both parties issued an identically worded statement. It followed a meeting between Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Togolese President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé—appointed by the African Union as a mediator—who discussed ways to resolve the conflict.
The peace push also came shortly after former DRC President Joseph Kabila returned via Goma, an M23-controlled city. His presence stirred tension in Kinshasa and coincided with the government’s renewed aggressive stance.
Uncertainty remains over whether President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi will address M23’s core demands. These include halting attacks and ethnic violence against Congolese Tutsis, recognising their rights as Congolese, releasing detainees linked to AFC/M23, and ending all persecution and discrimination.
Despite unresolved issues, both sides agreed to halt hostilities and reject inflammatory rhetoric. However, persistent signs of bad faith from the DRC government continue to cast doubt on the process.
Ambassador Nduhungirehe has previously accused the DRC government of acting contrary to past agreements made during talks in Luanda, Nairobi, and other venues.
Even so, the Qatar-facilitated dialogue—backed by the international community—offers hope. It aims to address the root causes of the conflict and outline steps towards a durable resolution.
In Doha, both parties committed to maintaining these agreements throughout the negotiation period, potentially signalling an end to the violence that has plagued the region for decades.
Their statement also called on Congolese citizens, religious leaders, and the media to support and amplify this message of peace. The conflict has previously escalated due to inflammatory statements and anti-peace rhetoric from political figures.
The Doha talks followed a high-level meeting between President Kagame and President Tshisekedi on 19 March, facilitated by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
