DR Congo and M23 rebels sign peace framework in Qatar

(CLO) The Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebels signed a peace framework on November 15 in Qatar, aiming to end the conflict that has devastated the country for many years.

The new framework "aims to create, in the shortest possible time, the conditions to bring about real change... for the people," the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo said in a statement.

But M23 stressed that the deal was not a final peace deal but a framework outlining the measures needed to reach a peace deal.

DR Congo and the M23 rebel group sign a framework agreement in Doha, Qatar aiming at ending fighting in eastern Congo, after months of deadly clashes and mass displacement.#DRCongo #M23 #Doha pic.twitter.com/swYjIjsbka

— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) November 15, 2025

“There will be no change in the situation on the ground, nor any operations, until the measures are debated, negotiated and discussed one by one and a final peace agreement is reached,” the head of the M23 delegation, Benjamin Mbonimpa, said in a video posted on X.

The framework agreement includes eight chapters, two of which concern the release of prisoners and the establishment of a ceasefire monitoring body, which were signed earlier in September and October.

The remaining six chapters address humanitarian access, restoring state control in rebel-held areas, and refugee resettlement, among other issues.

The deal was signed in Qatar, a country that has acted as an intermediary between the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebels, along with the United States. US President Donald Trump's special envoy to Africa, Massad Boulos, said the deal was a "starting point".

Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi said Saturday's agreement was a step closer to lasting peace. "Peace cannot be achieved by force, but must be built through trust, mutual respect and sincere commitment," he said.

M23 is the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups that have fought for control of the mineral-rich east of the Democratic Republic of Congo for more than a decade.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than 7 million displaced in decades of fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo, described by the United Nations as "one of the most severe, complex and protracted humanitarian crises on Earth".

Source: https://congluan.vn/chdc-congo-va-phien-quan-m23-ky-ket-khuon-kho-hoa-binh-tai-qatar-10317952.html