Congo, M23 commit to work towards peace after Doha talks

By Sonia Rolley and Ange Adihe Kasongo

The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels on Wednesday pledged in statements released after talks in Qatar to work towards peace after violence flared in January, raising fears of a wider regional war.

Their agreement to the text raised a glimmer of hope the latest cycle of violence in a decades-long conflict rooted in the Rwandan genocide might ease. But sources in the two delegations expressed frustration over the pace of negotiations.

Each side released the same statement separately after their delegations departed Qatar earlier in the week, following more than a week of discussions.

“Both parties reaffirm their commitment to an immediate cessation of hostilities, a categorical rejection of any hate speech, intimidation, and call on local communities to uphold these commitments”, the statement said.

The statement described their talks as “frank and constructive”, but it was unclear if or when another round