DR Congo, M23 sign framework deal in Doha as violence continues in the east – Firstpost

The Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebel group signed a framework agreement in Doha on Saturday aimed at halting fighting in eastern Congo that has killed thousands of people and displaced hundreds of thousands this year. reuters Informed.

The deal is the latest in a series of documents backed by the United States and Qatar to resolve Congo’s decades-old conflict, which has repeatedly threatened to spill over into regional war. U.S. and Qatari officials hailed the framework as an important step forward, but said much work still remains.

US envoy Massad Boulos said the agreement includes eight protocols, but the two sides still need to decide how to implement six of them. He also acknowledged that there had been delays in completing the first two protocols – prisoner exchange and ceasefire monitoring – that had been previously agreed upon.

“Yeah, they were a little slow the first few weeks,” he said. “Yes, people were probably expecting to see some immediate results on the ground, but it’s a process…it’s not a light switch you just turn on and off.”

Meanwhile, the M23 – in the latest actions backed by Rwanda – captured Goma, eastern Congo’s largest city, in January and has since advanced into North Kivu and South Kivu. Rwanda continues to deny any support for M23, even though the group holds more territory than ever before.

Despite months of diplomacy in Washington and Doha, violence in Congo has not stopped. Islamic State-linked militants killed 28 people in eastern North Kivu, local officials said Friday.
Qatar has hosted several rounds of talks since April, mostly focused on preconditions and confidence-building steps.

In July, the parties agreed on a declaration of principles, leaving key issues unresolved, and in October they reached an agreement on monitoring a future ceasefire.

Announcing Saturday’s agreement, Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi said, “Peace cannot be imposed by force, but is built through trust, mutual respect and sincere commitment.”