The Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 militia have resumed peace talks in Qatar to implement a stalled ceasefire, Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said Tuesday, amid fresh reports of violence in the DRC’s troubled east.
Ansari said delegations from Kinshasa and M23 were discussing a mechanism to monitor the truce and arrangements for exchanging prisoners and detainees. The mediation, coordinated with the United States and the International Committee of the Red Cross, forms part of a Qatari proposal that envisions a three-phase path to a durable settlement.
The parties signed a ceasefire in Doha on July 19 intended to lead to a permanent end to fighting across mineral-rich North Kivu and Ituri. Under that deal, formal talks were to begin on August 8 and conclude by August 18, but both deadlines slipped.
Qatar’s initiative follows a separate agreement reached in Washington between the Congolese and Rwandan governments in June. M23 sought its own accord with Kinshasa, arguing the DRC-Rwanda understanding left unresolved issues specific to the insurgent group.
Despite the truce pledge, security sources reported clashes between the Congolese army and M23 earlier this month. Rights groups have also accused the rebels of grave abuses; Human Rights Watch last week alleged ethnically targeted mass killings by M23.
Rwanda denies supporting M23, while UN experts say Rwandan forces have played a critical role in the group’s operations.