Hours after peace talks in Angola collapsed, the presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have expressed their support for a ceasefire after surprise talks in Qatar.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Tuesday. The Rwandan-backed M23 armed group invaded the mineral-rich eastern region of the DRC earlier this year and captured two major cities.
“The heads of state reiterated the commitment of all parties to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, as agreed at the African Summit last month,” the statement said. “The fruitful meeting… helped build confidence in a shared commitment to a secure and stable future for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region.”
A statement issued by the Rwandan presidency on Tuesday night confirmed the meeting, saying the leaders discussed the urgent need for “direct political dialogue” with all parties to address the “root causes of the conflict in eastern DRC.” “President Kagame expressed confidence that everything can move forward quickly if all parties work together,” the statement said.
The DRC also confirmed the meeting. According to a source close to the Congolese presidency, the meeting was kept “secret” until Tshisekedi boarded a plane back to Kinshasa. “An immediate and unconditional ceasefire has been agreed between the DRC and Rwanda,” the presidency’s office later confirmed the meeting, with spokesperson Tina Salama posting on X.
“The details of the implementation of what has been agreed will be prepared in the coming days,” the Congolese presidential office’s communications unit later said. Earlier on Tuesday, Angola said peace talks had been canceled after the M23 group withdrew at the last minute.
The group on Monday accused “some international organizations” of “deliberately sabotaging peace efforts,” specifically citing sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU). “The continued restrictions imposed on our members, including those adopted on the eve of the discussions in Luanda, seriously compromise direct dialogue and prevent any progress,” the group said.
The group also condemned Kinshasa’s “war campaign”, saying, “It has become impossible to negotiate under these conditions. As a result, our organization will not be able to participate in the discussions.” The EU has sanctioned three Rwandan military commanders and the head of its mining agency for supporting armed fighters in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and senior members of the M23, including its leader Bertrand Bisimwa.
More than 7,000 people have been killed since January as the M23, which claims to defend the interests of Congolese Tutsis, advanced on the major cities of Goma and Bukavu. AFP has not been able to independently verify the figures.
A report by UN experts said Kigali has effectively controlled the M23 and deployed around 4,000 troops to exploit the region’s valuable minerals, such as gold and coltan. Rwanda has denied providing military support to the M23 but says there is a threat in eastern DRC from the FDLR group, founded by ethnic Hutu leaders involved in the Rwandan genocide of Tutsis in 1994.
The Congolese government and the M23 last held talks in 2013.
