DR Congo and M23 Sign New Doha Peace Framework After Months of Mediation

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group signed a fresh peace roadmap in Doha on Saturday, marking the latest attempt to halt the long-running conflict in eastern Congo.

Qatar—working alongside the United States and the African Union—has mediated for months to bridge the divide between the two sides as M23 continues to hold key cities in the mineral-rich region. Both parties previously signed a ceasefire and framework agreement in July, but mutual accusations of truce violations have persisted.

The new pact, titled the Doha Framework for a Comprehensive Peace Agreement, was endorsed in a ceremony attended by officials from the DRC, M23, Qatar, and the United States.

Benjamin Mbonimpa, who led the M23 delegation in Doha, stressed that the latest accord carries “no binding clauses” and will not immediately alter “the situation on the ground.” He said the document’s eight chapters focus on diagnosing the “root causes of the conflict,” which must be addressed before any full peace deal can be finalized.

The DRC government, however, said the framework “aims to create, in the shortest time possible, the conditions for a real and measurable change for the people.” The chapters reportedly cover prisoner releases on both sides, humanitarian access, and mechanisms for monitoring the fragile ceasefire.

US President Donald Trump’s envoy to Africa, Massad Boulos, told AFP that implementation remains “the most important aspect,” noting that multiple oversight and enforcement structures have been built into the agreement. “They’ve signed it today, and this is a major milestone,” Boulos said, describing it as a “launching pad” for deeper negotiations.

Two protocols have already been signed dealing with ceasefire monitoring, while others address aid distribution, the return of displaced people, and judicial protections.

M23, which resumed fighting in late 2021 with Rwandan support, has seized large parts of eastern DRC, fuelling a worsening humanitarian crisis. Thousands were killed in the group’s January–February offensives, during which they captured the strategic cities of Goma and Bukavu.

The Doha framework follows a June peace agreement between the Congolese and Rwandan governments signed in Washington. Kinshasa continues to demand that Rwandan forces withdraw, while Kigali insists such a move depends on dismantling the FDLR militia—formed by perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide who fled into the DRC.

Qatar’s chief negotiator, Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, hailed the new accord as “historic,” saying mediators will keep pushing to translate the agreement into real progress on the ground.

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