The Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebel movement on Saturday signed a “declaration of principles” in Doha aimed at ending months of fighting in eastern Congo, negotiators said, while acknowledging that key issues remain unresolved.
The document, reached after three months of Qatari‑brokered talks, commits both sides to an immediate halt in hostilities, disarmament discussions and further negotiations on troop withdrawals, humanitarian access and political reintegration, according to diplomats briefed on the text.
Washington, eager to stabilise an area rich in copper, cobalt, lithium and other critical minerals, has pressed Kinshasa and Kigali‑backed M23 to reach a durable accord. U.S. officials say President Donald Trump views peace as a catalyst for Western investment in the region.
M23 fighters, widely believed to receive support from Rwanda, captured Goma in January and pushed deeper into North and South Kivu, killing thousands and displacing hundreds of thousands. Neighbouring states already have troops in eastern Congo, raising fears of a wider regional war.
Qatar jump‑started the process in March by hosting a surprise meeting between Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who jointly called for an “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire. That paved the way for direct Kinshasa–M23 talks, a step Congo had long resisted.
Delegates from both camps told Reuters they remain divided over confidence‑building measures—chiefly the release of detained M23 fighters and the reopening of banks in rebel‑held zones—as well as the timetable for any Rwandan or M23 withdrawal. Those details were not fixed in Saturday’s declaration and will be tackled in follow‑up negotiations, the mediators said.