By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
November 13 2025 - A new push to end one of Africa’s most protracted conflicts gained momentum on Saturday after the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels signed a framework agreement in Doha, Qatar, an accord hailed as a significant diplomatic breakthrough but one that still leaves critical details unresolved.
The deal, brokered with support from Qatar and the United States, outlines eight protocols intended to guide negotiations toward a fuller peace agreement. It is the clearest step yet in months of shuttle diplomacy involving Washington, Kigali, Kinshasa and regional actors who have struggled to contain the spiralling violence in eastern Congo.
US Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region Massad Boulos said the document marked “an important milestone,” but warned that six of the eight protocols still require negotiation before implementation. Even the two already agreed, on a ceasefire monitoring mechanism and a prisoner exchange, have seen “slow” progress on the ground.
“This is a process, not a switch,” Boulos told Reuters, underscoring persistent mistrust between the parties. Regional observers say the optimism in Doha contrasts sharply with realities in North Kivu and South Kivu, where clashes, displacements and humanitarian crises have persisted despite months of talks.
M23 fighters, who seized Goma in January and expanded their territorial control to unprecedented levels, continue to face off with Congolese forces and local militia coalitions. Congo accuses Rwanda of arming and directing the rebel group, while Kigali insists it is being scapegoated and that its security concerns, especially regarding the FDLR militia sheltering in eastern Congo, have been ignored.
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The new agreement does not resolve those long-standing tensions, analysts note. Tibor Nagy, a former senior US diplomat for Africa, cautioned that the framework will require “extensive hand-holding instead of drive-by peace processes,” saying that past diplomatic efforts have collapsed amid competing political interests.
For Kinshasa, the Doha document represents a chance to halt a conflict that has displaced more than a million people this year alone. But with fighting still reported near key population centres, many Congolese remain sceptical.
The next phase of negotiations, expected to focus on demobilisation, territorial withdrawals and humanitarian access, will determine whether Saturday’s signing becomes a turning point or just another stalled attempt at peace.
