The Democratic Republic of Congo and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels plan to hold their first direct talks on April 9 in Doha, sources from both sides confirmed Tuesday. The meeting is seen as a potential breakthrough in efforts led by Qatar to end one of Central Africa’s most intense conflicts in decades.
The talks would mark the first formal negotiations between Kinshasa and M23 since the rebels seized two major cities in eastern Congo, displacing hundreds of thousands and leaving thousands dead. A Congolese official said the talks would proceed “unless the other side misbehaves,” while an M23 source confirmed the date and said the group would present its demands. Both sides have agreed to keep details of the discussions private.
Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame met unexpectedly in Doha on March 18, followed by further Qatari-led discussions between their delegations. While Qatari officials also met separately with M23 representatives, no direct engagement had taken place until now.
The conflict, rooted in the aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and regional struggles over mineral wealth, has fueled ongoing violence along Congo’s eastern border. Rwanda denies supporting M23, claiming its military actions are in self-defense against Congolese forces and allied militias.
M23 has long pushed for direct negotiations, but Tshisekedi resisted, calling the group a proxy for Rwanda. Last month, facing battlefield setbacks, he agreed to talks in Luanda, Angola, but M23 withdrew after being sanctioned by the European Union.
