The Congolese government and M23 rebels failed to meet Monday’s target date for a Doha peace deal, stoking concern that rising tensions could undermine negotiations and reverse recent progress.
Under Qatari mediation, the sides signed a declaration of principles on July 19 pledging to open talks by Aug. 8 and conclude them by Aug. 18. Fighting in eastern Congo has intensified this year as M23 advanced and seized the region’s two biggest cities.
The AFC-M23 movement said on Sunday that only full implementation of the declaration—including prisoner releases—would allow the next round to proceed. A senior AFC source said a small delegation would go to Doha in the coming days under Qatari pressure, adding it would reiterate that the measures must be enacted before substantive talks.
A government source said Kinshasa had received a draft agreement from mediators and both sides were preparing comments ahead of a planned return to Doha later this week. The source called prisoner releases a complex issue more suited to negotiation than a precondition.
A Qatari official told Reuters the timeline was missed, but both parties signaled willingness to keep negotiating.