With negotiations between the DRC and the M23 in Luanda at a standstill, the Emir of Qatar hosted the Congolese and Rwandan leaders on Tuesday in an attempt to revive dialogue.
A trilateral meeting was held on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Doha, under the auspices of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
This summit brought together Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi, as part of the cooperative and friendly relations that Qatar maintains with the two countries.
According to the official statement from the Congolese presidency reviewed by APA, the two heads of state reaffirmed their commitment to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The implementation modalities of the agreements reached at this meeting will be clarified in the coming days, building on the achievements of the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes.
This meeting comes as the peace negotiations between the DRC and the M23 rebel movement scheduled for Luanda have been postponed indefinitely.
This postponement follows the M23’s refusal to participate, in response to European sanctions targeting some of its leaders.
The rebel movement, which is part of the Congo River Alliance (CRA), had indicated through Corneille Nanga that it would not take part in the talks “until further notice.”
The Doha summit is taking place amid tension in the region, marked in particular by the breakdown of diplomatic relations between Rwanda and Belgium and the gradual withdrawal of the SADC Security Support Mission in the DRC.
Despite these difficulties, the Qatari initiative appears to be an attempt to revive dialogue between the two neighbours and ease tensions in the Great Lakes region.
AC/Sf/fss/as/APA