The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the AFC/M23 rebel movement signed an agreement in principle on Saturday (19) for a future peace agreement. The agreement comes after three months of direct talks in Qatar.

According to a RFIIn Doha, Qatar, the signing ceremony for the agreement in principle took place in the presence of the Qatari Minister for Foreign Affairs.

The document signed by the parties provides, according to information gathered by RFI, for a mechanism to achieve a permanent ceasefire, a plan to restore state authority in the east of the country following the signed peace agreement, and a framework for negotiations for the next stages.

This early agreement comes three weeks after the signing of a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Washington, United States, on June 27.

In fact, the AFC/M23 rebel movement, which managed to conquer territory in the east of the DRC in an offensive in January and February, was aiming to sign its own agreement with Kinshasa, regardless of the agreement signed between the Congolese and the Rwandans.

The eastern DRC is rich in minerals such as cobalt and lithium - vital for electric vehicles.

The east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, rich in mineral resources and bordering Rwanda, has been the scene of multiple conflicts for 30 years.

Since the resurgence of the armed group at the end of 2021, the regime of Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi had systematically refused to hold face-to-face talks with the M23 and its political arm, the Congo River Alliance (AFC/M23).

 

(Photo Reuters)