M23 forces standing beside house
Sources from both the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) government and the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have stated that the two are aiming to hold direct talks for the first time on 9 April.
The meeting in Doha would be the first direct negotiations since M23 rebels seized eastern Congo’s two largest cities.
A Congolese official confirmed that talks were scheduled for 9 April “unless the other side misbehaves”. According to sources, both the M23 rebels and the DRC government have agreed not to publicly discuss the substance of the talks.
The DRC is currently facing one of the world’s largest displacement and humanitarian crises as a result of ongoing violence and instability. Millions have already been forced to flee their homes, and at least 7000 people have been killed in recent months.
Read more on Reuters here.