Negotiations between the Congolese government and the AFC/M23 continue in Doha, Qatar, in the presence of the Ministers of the Interior of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to information confirmed by RFI. The Rwandan Minister Vincent Biruta participates in the discussions as an observer, as do the guarantors of the Washington Agreement – the United States, the African Union Commission and Togo – also invited by the Qatari mediator. The political-military movement AFC/M23 is represented by its executive secretary, Benjamin Mbonimpa. The Congolese side, the presence of the Minister of the Interior, Jacquemain Shabani, marked a premiere in the framework of the Doha process. Its presence responds to the desire expressed by the United States, since the end of June, to involve at the highest level the parties concerned in this phase of the dialogue which is considered sensitive. These discussions, which are separate from the Washington process which frames relations between Kinshasa and Kigali, are aimed at addressing the deep roots of the conflict in the east of the DRC and at bringing positions closer together. The draft peace agreement proposed by Doha in May has been modified on several occasions, and the mediators hope to reach a definitive text in the coming days. The process remains dependent on the political will of the parties to respect the undertakings given, in particular in the field of disarmament and demobilisation of armed groups.
Conflict in the East of the DRC: new phase of negotiations under way in Doha
