Congo and Rwanda-backed rebels have signed a declaration of principles in Qatar, pledging to end decades of fighting in eastern Congo through a permanent ceasefire, with a comprehensive peace deal scheduled for finalization within a month.
The document, signed on Saturday, outlines a commitment to conclude a definitive peace agreement by August 18. According to a copy of the declaration reviewed by the Associated Press, the forthcoming deal “shall align with the Peace Agreement between Congo and Rwanda” brokered by the United States in June.
The declaration echoes key points of the June 27 peace pact between Congo and Rwanda, marking the first formal step by both parties since rebels captured two major cities in eastern Congo earlier this year.
The M23 group, backed by neighboring Rwanda, is the most dominant among more than 100 armed factions battling for control over Congo’s resource-rich east.
The United Nations has described the region’s turmoil, which has displaced around 7 million people, as “one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth.”
Details of the final peace agreement remain unclear, including what concessions each side may grant. M23 has pressed for the release of its fighters detained by Congo’s military, many of whom face death sentences.
Meanwhile, Congo has demanded the full withdrawal of M23 forces from territories under their control.
A central sticking point is whether Rwanda will withdraw its backing for the rebels, including what UN experts report as thousands of Rwandan troops currently stationed in eastern Congo.
When the June peace accord was signed in Washington, Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe stated that Rwanda would lift its “defensive measures” – widely understood as a reference to its troops – once Congo neutralizes a militia Kigali accuses of involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Analysts warn that securing the M23’s withdrawal from Goma and Bukavu, two strategically vital cities seized earlier this year, could prove challenging without significant concessions from Kinshasa.
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