M23 rebel leaders arrive in Doha for talks

M23 rebel leaders have arrived in Qatar for further talks with mediators, following an earlier meeting between the presidents of DRC and Rwanda.

Rebel leaders of the M23 group have arrived in Doha, Qatar, for continued dialogue as part of mediation efforts between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda.

Officials said the delegation is led by M23’s political leader, Bertrand Bisimwa, though the specific content of the discussions remains unclear.

Their arrival follows a meeting last week between DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame—their first talks since M23 intensified its offensive in eastern Congo.

The meeting, along with a joint call for a ceasefire, raised hopes for a possible de-escalation of one of the region’s most intense conflicts in decades.

However, fighting between M23 rebels and government forces has continued, with both sides blaming each other for renewed attacks.

Congo, the United Nations, and Western governments say Rwanda is supporting the rebels by providing troops and weapons. Kigali has denied aiding M23, insisting its forces are acting in self-defense against Congo’s army and ethnic Hutu militiamen linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which killed around 1 million people, mostly ethnic Tutsis.

Since January, the clashes have killed more than 7,000 people and displaced over 1 million in eastern DRC.

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