Rwanda, DRC presidents hold surprise ceasefire talks in Qatar

The presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have expressed support for a ceasefire after holding surprise talks in Qatar, just hours after peace talks in Angola failed. Rwandan leader Paul Kagame and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi met Tuesday with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, according to a joint statement from the three countries.

The statement affirmed that all parties remain committed to an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire,” as agreed at an African summit last month. It described the “fruitful meeting” as an effort to build confidence in a shared commitment to a secure and stable future for the DRC and the region. Rwanda’s presidency later confirmed the meeting, emphasizing the urgent need for “direct political dialogue” to address the root causes of the conflict in eastern DRC.

President Kagame expressed optimism that “with all parties working together, things can move forward faster,” while the DRC also confirmed the meeting. A source close to the Congolese presidency said the talks were kept “secret” until Tshisekedi had boarded a plane back to Kinshasa. Presidential spokesperson Tina Salama later posted on X that an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire has just been agreed between the DRC and Rwanda,” with details of its implementation to be worked out in the coming days.

Earlier Tuesday, Angola announced that peace talks had been canceled after the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group withdrew at the last minute. The M23, which launched an offensive in the mineral-rich east of the DRC earlier this year, had seized the key cities of Goma and Bukavu in a lightning advance that has killed more than 7,000 people, according to the DRC. However, AFP has not been able to verify this figure independently.

The M23 accused “certain international institutions” of “deliberately sabotaging peace efforts,” referring to sanctions imposed by the European Union. “The successive sanctions imposed on our members, including those adopted on the eve of the discussions in Luanda, seriously compromise direct dialogue and prevent any advance,” the group stated. It also denounced Kinshasa’s “bellicose campaign,” declaring that “under these conditions, the holding of talks has become impossible. As a result, our organization will not be able to take part in the discussions.”

The European Union had recently sanctioned three Rwandan military commanders, Rwanda’s mining agency chief, and senior members of the M23, including its leader Bertrand Bisimwa, for supporting armed fighters in eastern DRC. A report by United Nations experts has stated that Kigali effectively controls the M23 and has deployed around 4,000 troops to exploit valuable minerals such as gold and coltan. Rwanda denies providing military assistance to the M23 but claims it faces a security threat in the DRC’s east from the FDLR group, which was founded by ethnic Hutu leaders involved in the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsis.

The last official negotiations between the Congolese government and the M23 took place in 2013. With tensions escalating, the newly agreed ceasefire between the DRC and Rwanda is seen as a crucial step in de-escalating violence, but its effectiveness remains uncertain as key actors—including the M23—remain resistant to dialogue.