DR Congo, Rwandan leaders hold cease-fire talks

DOHA — The presidents of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda met in Doha on Tuesday for talks mediated by Qatar, during which they voiced support for a cease-fire in the eastern DR Congo, hours after peace talks in Angola failed.

According to a joint statement issued by Qatar's Foreign Ministry, DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended the meeting.

The statement said the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to an "immediate and unconditional" cease-fire as agreed at a February summit held in the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam, and further agreed on the need to continue discussions initiated in Doha to establish a solid foundation for lasting peace.

Fighting between the DR Congo government and the March 23 Movement, or M23, rebel group has intensified in recent months as M23 launched major offensives in the eastern provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, capturing several key towns.

The ongoing violence has displaced thousands, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the eastern DR Congo.

The M23 called earlier on Tshisekedi to make an unequivocal public declaration committing to direct negotiations. The DR Congo government has consistently considered it a red line to sit at the same negotiation table with the rebels.

Meanwhile, DR Congo has accused Rwanda of supporting the M23. Rwanda said the DR Congo military has allied with the Rwandan rebel group Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, which was allegedly involved in the 1994 genocide.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Angolan Foreign Ministry confirmed that peace talks between DR Congo and the M23 group, originally set for Tuesday, had been called off for "reasons and circumstances of force majeure".

In the statement, Angola also pledged to push for the talks, reaffirming dialogue as the only path to lasting peace in the region.

The Angolan presidency insisted on Monday that the talks would proceed "as scheduled" despite the M23's withdrawal earlier. The rebel group accused "certain international institutions" of obstructing peace efforts and undermining negotiations.

"Successive sanctions imposed on our members, including those announced on the eve of the Luanda discussions, make direct dialogue impossible," the M23 said, referring to the European Union's sanctions issued on Monday targeting M23 leaders, including political chief Bertrand Bisimwa, and Rwandan military commanders.

In its situation update on Monday, the United Nations Children's Fund warned that 1 million people, including about 400,000 children, were newly displaced since late January 2025, with figures likely to rise further as hostilities continue in both South Kivu and North Kivu.

Xinhua - Agencies