Hope for peace as DR Congo and M23 rebels sign deal in Qatar

The Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebels have signed ceasefire deal in Qatar to end fighting between the warring sides.

Dubbed the Declaration of Principles, Saturday's agreement seen by the BBC, says both sides must refrain from attacks, "hate propaganda" and "any attempt to seize by force new positions on the ground".

The declaration is intended as a roadmap towards a permanent settlement.

The two sides agreed to implement the deal's terms by July 29. A final peace deal is due by 18 August and must align with last month's US-brokered deal between DR Congo and Rwanda, which denies accusations it backs M23.

Decades of conflict escalated earlier this year when M23 rebels seized control of large parts of the mineral-rich eastern DR Congo including the regional capital, Goma, the city of Bukavu and two airports.

The UN says thousands of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands of civilians forced from their homes following since. The M23 disputes the figures, saying fewer than 1,000 people have died.

DR Congo spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said the deal took the government's "red line" into account - including the "non-negotiable withdrawal" of the M23 from occupied areas.

But in a video posted on X, M23 negotiator Benjamin Mbonimpa said the deal did not mention such a pull-out.

It is the first direct accord between the two sides since the rebels launched their offensive at the turn of the year.

Qatar said negotiations were set to continue.

The African Union Commission called the declaration a "milestone" in lasting peace efforts and security in the region.

The declaration also outlines a commitment to reinstating state authority in eastern DR Congo.

This is the latest in a long line of failed peace deals in the region.

One of the main players in today's conflict - the M23 rebels - emerged from a failed peace deal 16 years ago that never delivered on demobilisation.

In March, DR Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame met in Qatar and both called for an immediate ceasefire.

The following month, DR Congo and M23 group agreed to a ceasefire facilitated by Qatar, but fighting continued on the ground.

The Washington deal, which came about in June, has been met with widespread criticism as a key incentive for the US' intervention is access to the DR Congo's vast mineral wealth. President Trump boasted of this feat.

There has been talk of Tshisekedi and Rwanda's President Paul Kagame going to Washington to meet Trump together, though no date has been fixed.

Additional reporting by Emery Makumeno

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