The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Rwanda-backed M23 militia signed a new peace framework designed to halt the fighting that has ravaged eastern DRC. For months, Qatar, together with the United States and the African Union, has mediated talks to resolve the conflict in this mineral-rich region, where M23 forces have captured several key cities. This latest agreement, known as the Doha Framework for a Comprehensive Peace Agreement, follows a ceasefire and earlier framework signed in July, which both sides accused each other of violating. The region has suffered hundreds of thousands of deaths since the mid-1990s. Speaking in Doha, Benjamin Mbonimpa of the M23 delegation said the framework has “no binding clauses” and will not immediately change the situation on the ground, while its eight chapters addressing the conflict’s root causes will form the basis of future negotiations for a comprehensive peace deal.
