Qatar has shared a draft peace agreement with the DRC government and M23 rebels as part of ongoing Doha-led negotiations to end the conflict.
The Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 militia received a draft agreement to end the fighting between both sides, a Qatari official privy to the negotiations said on Sunday, as cited by AFP.
The official confirmed that the “preparation and sharing of a draft peace agreement with both parties as part of the ongoing Doha process”, adding that Doha will soon host “an important round of negotiations”.
The development came after the Congolese government and M23 rebels signed a declaration of principles on July 19 in the Gulf state with the aim of signing a peace deal by August 18.
“We recognise the challenges on the ground and hope they can be overcome promptly through dialogue and genuine commitment,” the official said, noting both sides “expressed a willingness to continue negotiations”.
The fighting in eastern DRC escalated when M23 launched the deadly offensive in 2021, with the group capturing the major cities of Goma and Bukavu by 2025.
The United States, the United Nations and DRC have long accused the M23 of being backed by Rwanda—claims that Kigali repeatedly denied.
Qatar has worked alongside the U.S. to mediate between the DRC and Rwanda over the past two years.
On March 18, Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani gathered DRC’s President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame at the Lusail Palace in the Gulf state.
The meeting marked the first face-to-face talks between the two presidents since the M23 rebels launched a deadly offensive in eastern DRC. The gathering of the leaders was also a key indicator of momentum in the negotiations.
The DRC and M23 then agreed to a ceasefire in the east of the country following Qatar’s mediation in April after the collapse of more than six previous truces and ceasefires since 2021.
Last month, the United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) said M23 fighters killed at least 319 civilians between July 9-21 in North Kivu province. The killings marked the highest civilian death tolls documented since M23’s resurgence in 2022.
The brutality in eastern Congo led to the internal displacement of more than 7.8 million people in what the UN described as “the highest figure on record”. At least 28 million people are also facing food insecurity, according to the UN.
