DR Congo peace plan shared with government, M23 militia: Qatari official

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A draft agreement to end fighting between the Democratic Republic of Congo's army and the Rwanda-backed M23 militia has been shared with the government in Kinshasa and the armed group, a Qatari official with knowledge of the negotiations said Sunday.

The official involved in mediation efforts announced the "preparation and sharing of a draft peace agreement with both parties as part of the ongoing Doha process", with Doha set to host "an important round of negotiations" soon.

The Congolese government and the M23 signed a declaration of principles on July 19 in Qatar, aiming to ink a peace deal by August 18.

The Qatari official said that timeline had not been met but "both parties have responded positively to the facilitator and expressed a willingness to continue negotiations".

"We recognise the challenges on the ground and hope they can be overcome promptly through dialogue and genuine commitment," the official added.

Since taking up arms again at the end of 2021 the M23 armed group has seized swathes of land in eastern DRC with Rwanda's backing, triggering a spiralling humanitarian crisis.

A fresh surge of unrest broke out early this year when the M23 captured the key cities of Goma and Bukavu, setting up their own administrations.