In mid‑July 2025, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebel group formally agreed to a declaration of principles in Doha, Qatar, signaling their shared commitment to a permanent ceasefire. This milestone followed months of mediation led by Qatar, with key support from the African Union and the United States. Both sides pledged to suspend hostilities on land, in the air, and on water, to refrain from hate speech or propaganda, and to halt any attempt to seize territory by force. The agreement also sets a timeline—formal peace negotiations are to begin no later than August 8, with a comprehensive deal signed by August 18 .
This ceasefire commitment represents the first time Kinshasa and M23 have directly engaged in a binding peace framework. It follows a separate June accord between the DRC and Rwanda in Washington, which sought to ensure Rwandan troop withdrawal and economic cooperation. Yet M23 rejected inclusion in that deal, insisting on its own negotiations with the government in Kinshasa . The Doha declaration builds on that initiative, though key issues remain unresolved: Kinshasa insists on the non‑negotiable withdrawal of M23 from occupied cities like Goma and Bukavu, while M23 maintains the agreement’s focus is empowering state institutions rather than retreating from held territories .
The wider context behind this breakthrough is grim. Since January 2025, M23 has seized large swathes of North and South Kivu, overthrowing local administrations in Goma and Bukavu. Their advance triggered a humanitarian crisis: thousands killed, hundreds of thousands displaced, and infrastructure shattered. Neighboring countries deployed troops under SADC auspices, but many have since announced phased withdrawals, leaving a precarious security vacuum . The United Nations adopted Resolution 2773 in February, demanding that M23 cease its offensives and that Rwanda halt its support for the group and withdraw troops from Congolese territory . Despite repeated earlier ceasefire attempts, each lacked enforcement mechanisms and failed to yield lasting calm .
While the Doha declaration is being hailed by the African Union as a major milestone in securing peace and stability in eastern DRC and the wider Great Lakes region, analysts warn that the devil is in the details. Questions remain over how the ceasefire will be monitored, whether M23 will truly withdraw, if governmental control can be restored across the region, and if confidence-building measures—such as the release of detainees, the reopening of banking services, and the safe return of refugees—will be implemented transparently .
Separately, critics have flagged concerns over accompanying diplomatic overtures. The earlier U.S.-brokered deal was tied to a controversial “minerals for security” side agreement—raising fears that Western access to Congo’s vast cobalt and other mineral reserves may overshadow substantive peace guarantees . Civil society voices and regional actors have also criticized that important parties—such as Uganda and Burundi—have been excluded, even as their forces remain deployed in eastern Congo .
Despite these challenges, hope persists. The Doha declaration restores at least symbolic legitimacy to M23 as a negotiating actor and brings urgent political attention to the eastern DRC. Regional tensions, particularly diplomacy between Presidents Tshisekedi and Kagame, and pressure from international partners—including the U.S., Qatar, the African Union, and the UN—have created a window for meaningful dialogue. UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the agreement as a significant step toward de-escalation and peace in the Great Lakes region .
But the fragile legacy of past attempts looms large: what is needed most is a binding, transparent peace accord backed by enforceable mechanisms and inclusive representation of all internal and external stakeholders. Without that, history suggests these declarations can quickly dissolve into renewed violence and suffering.
For now, the Kinshasa–M23 declaration offers a tentative roadmap: if both parties follow through with demonstrable action and international partners ensure accountability, this could mark a turning point. Otherwise, it risks becoming another hollow pause in a conflict marked by its complexity and resilience.
Credit: The time, Africanews
