By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Qatar has presented a draft peace proposal to Congo and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels following months of mediation in Doha, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
Both sides are expected to consult their leaders before resuming talks, as Doha seeks to end the tensions between both sides.
M23 earlier this year staged an advance in the eastern region of DRC, a development that saw the Rwanda-backed rebel group seize the region’s two largest cities, raising fears of a wider regional war.
African leaders, along with Doha and Washington, have been trying to broker a peace deal that would put an end to a conflict with roots in the Rwandan genocide more than three decades ago.
Sources from both the Congolese government and M23 camps told Reuters on Thursday that some members of the delegations had left Doha but cast doubt on whether there had been significant progress in the talks so far.
“The draft is not recent and has not been updated for over a month. The draft has nothing to do with what we proposed and takes more into account Kinshasa’s expectations,” said an M23 source who insisted on anonymity to discuss ongoing diplomacy.
Qatar had in March brokered a surprise meeting between Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Both leaders called for a ceasefire after the meeting.
In April, Congo and M23 issued statements pledging to work towards peace, though sources in both camps expressed patience over the pace of the talks in Doha.
Congo says Rwanda is supporting M23 by sending troops and arms.
Rwanda has long denied helping M23, saying its forces are acting in self-defence against Congo’s army and ethnic Hutu militiamen linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide that killed around 1 million people, mostly ethnic Tutsis.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is trying to strike a peace accord between Congo and Rwanda and facilitate billions in Western investments in the region, which is rich in minerals including tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper and lithium.
Trump’s senior adviser for Africa, Massad Boulos, last month said he had spoken with the presidents of both countries and was “awaiting final feedback from both parties”.
Washington is pushing for a peace agreement between the two sides to be signed this summer, accompanied by economic packages.
