Overview
- Representatives of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebel group signed the Doha Framework in Qatar during a ceremony attended by Qatari mediators and U.S. diplomats.
- M23’s delegation said the framework contains eight protocols addressing root causes and that no changes on the ground will occur until those are negotiated into a final deal.
- The U.S. envoy said work remains to implement most of the protocols, noting slow progress on prisoner exchanges and ceasefire monitoring already agreed.
- Earlier rounds in Qatar produced a July declaration of principles and an October mechanism to monitor an eventual ceasefire, yet reports of violations followed previous deals.
- The conflict has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands this year as M23, accused by Congo of receiving Rwandan support that Kigali denies, seized Goma and expanded across North and South Kivu.