The presidents of Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda held a surprise meeting in Qatar and committed to a ceasefire amid the ongoing occupation of eastern Congo by Rwanda-backed rebels.
President Paul Kagame and his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Tuesday in Doha “as part of an effort to ease the situation” in eastern Congo, the three countries said in a joint statement Tuesday posted on X.
The meeting came after the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels pulled out of peace talks planned for earlier in the day in Angola.
Since the start of the year, M23 has taken mineral-rich eastern Congo’s two biggest cities, leaving thousands dead and more than 700,000 displaced, according to the United Nations. The group has continued to expand its territory and has threatened to overthrow Congo’s government.
Rwanda has denied backing the group, which says it’s protecting the rights of Tutsis and other speakers of the Rwandan language in Congo. The Congolese government says M23 and its Rwandan backers are mainly interested in stealing minerals.
The two presidents “reaffirmed the commitment of all parties to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire” as agreed to at a summit of southern and east African leaders last month, according to the statement.
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