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The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame met in Doha on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, and jointly called for an immediate ceasefire in eastern DR Congo. The high-stakes meeting, mediated by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, came amid an escalating crisis that has claimed an estimated 7,000 lives since January and displaced hundreds of thousands.
Despite the public commitment to ending hostilities, significant uncertainties remain. The M23 rebel group, which has been at the center of the conflict, refused to participate in earlier peace talks in Angola and has yet to indicate whether it will comply with the ceasefire appeal.
The crisis in eastern DR Congo is deeply rooted in historical tensions that date back to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Following the genocide, members of the former Rwandan regime and Hutu militias fled into eastern DR Congo, where they formed armed groups that targeted Rwanda. Kigali has since maintained a strategic interest in the region, citing security threats and economic considerations.
In 2012, the M23 rebel group, composed primarily of Congolese Tutsis, emerged as a major destabilizing force. The movement, which took its name from a failed peace agreement signed on March 23, 2009, accused the Congolese government of reneging on its commitments to integrate its fighters into the national army. After a brief period of dormancy, M23 resurfaced in 2021, launching a renewed offensive that has led to the current crisis.
The DRC government has consistently accused Rwanda of backing M23, alleging that Kigali provides weapons, funding, and troops to support the rebels; claims that have been supported by both the United Nations and the United States. Rwanda, however, denies these allegations and insists that its military actions in eastern DR Congo are purely defensive, aimed at countering the presence of Hutu militia groups operating along its border.
The conflict is further complicated by economic interests. Eastern DR Congo is rich in valuable minerals, including gold, coltan, and cobalt; resources that have fueled decades of violence and foreign interference. Kinshasa has accused Kigali of illegally exploiting these resources through proxy rebel groups, an allegation Rwanda has repeatedly dismissed.
Previous attempts to resolve the conflict have largely failed. In December 2024, Angola hosted peace talks aimed at brokering a ceasefire. However, the negotiations collapsed after Rwanda demanded that the Congolese government engage directly with M23, something Kinshasa refused, arguing that it would legitimize the rebel group.
Since then, M23 has launched an aggressive military campaign, capturing key cities such as Goma and Bukavu and displacing thousands of civilians. Just days before the Qatar meeting, the European Union imposed sanctions on M23’s leadership, prompting the group to pull out of another round of peace talks.
Qatar has in the recent past been increasingly involved in African conflicts. While the Gulf nation has traditionally focused its diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, it has recently positioned itself as a mediator in African disputes, thanks to its financial and political influence.
A statement from Qatar’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that both Tshisekedi and Kagame agreed to “continue discussions initiated in Doha in order to establish solid foundations for lasting peace.” However, the statement did not specify how the ceasefire would be enforced or monitored.
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