Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rebel Group M23 Sign Peace Agreement in Qatar

The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the rebel group M23 have signed a ceasefire agreement in Qatar to end the fighting between the warring parties.

The agreement, named the 'Principles Declaration', emphasizes the need for both sides to refrain from attacks, 'hate speech', and 'any attempt to forcibly seize new positions on the ground'.

This declaration serves as a roadmap towards a permanent settlement.

The parties have agreed to implement the agreement by July 29th. A final peace agreement is expected to be reached by August 18th, in line with the agreement mediated by the United States last month between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, which denies allegations of supporting the M23 movement.

The conflict escalated earlier this year when M23 rebels took control of large parts of the mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, including the regional capital Goma, the city of Bukavu, and two airports.

The United Nations says thousands have been killed, and hundreds of thousands of civilians have been forced to flee their homes since then. The M23 movement disputes these figures, suggesting that the death toll is less than a thousand.

Patrick Muyaya, a spokesperson for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, stated that the agreement takes into account the 'red line' set by the government, including the 'non-negotiable withdrawal' of M23 from the occupied areas.

However, in a video posted on platform X, Benjamin Mbonimpa, a negotiator for the M23 movement, stated that the agreement did not mention this withdrawal.

This is the first direct agreement between the parties since the rebels launched their attack earlier this year.

Qatar has confirmed that negotiations are set to continue.