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4d ago

Washington Accord Faces Doubt as M23 Rebels Return to Doha Talks

M23’s parallel negotiations in Doha raise doubts about enforcing the U.S.-brokered accord

Members of the M23 rebel group ride on their vehicles after the opening ceremony of Caisse Generale d'epargne du Congo in Goma, North Kivu province in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, April 7, 2025. REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi/File Photo
FILE - People displaced by the fighting with M23 rebels make their way to the center of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa, File)
Rwanda's President Paul Kagame of the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) party sits to submit his candidature, where he seeks re-election in the upcoming polls due in July at Rwanda's National Election Commission in Kiyovu, Kigali, Rwanda May 17, 2024. REUTERS/Jean Bizimana/File Photo
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Overview

  • M23 delegates have announced their return to Qatar for separate Doha talks, rejecting the Washington Accord’s binding status
  • The June 27 accord obliges Rwanda to withdraw its troops from North and South Kivu in three stages and mandates militia disarmament along with screening of ex-combatants
  • President Paul Kagame voiced uncertainty over the accord’s durability, warning Kigali will respond if Kinshasa fails to neutralise the FDLR
  • A UN panel report accuses Rwanda of exercising command and control over M23 during its advance, a claim Kigali denies by citing longstanding security concerns
  • More than 7 million Congolese remain internally displaced and over 27 million face food insecurity during the ongoing conflict