CONGO M23 REBELS TO SIGN DECLARATION TO END FIGHTING

Congo and the M23 rebel group have agreed to a declaration of principles to end fighting in eastern Congo, a sign of progress after months of talks mediated by Qatar, though key details still need to be negotiated, four sources said on Friday July 18 2025.
The declaration, expected to be signed on Saturday July 19 2025 in Doha, comes amid heavy US pressure to finalise deals that would bring peace to eastern Congo. This could potentially attract billions of dollars of Western investment to a region rich in tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper, lithium and other minerals.
M23, in the latest of a string of uprisings supported by Rwanda, seized Goma, eastern Congo's largest city, in January and went on to make gains across North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
The fighting has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more this year while escalating the risk of a full-blown regional war. Several of Congo's neighbours already have troops deployed in the volatile region.
In March Qatar brokered a surprise meeting between Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame during which they called for an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire.
That led to direct talks, also in Doha, between Congo and M23. Congo had previously rejected the idea of holding talks with M23, branding it a terrorist group
In April, both sides pledged to work towards a ceasefire. But sources in both delegations have expressed frustration with the pace of negotiations and the lack of progress on confidence-building measures including the release of M23 members held by Congo and the re-opening of banks in rebel-held territory.
It was unclear how many of those issues have been resolved. There are also bigger questions on possible Rwandan and M23 withdrawals from eastern Congo.