Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - No progress has been made in the talks in Doha, Qatar, which were supposed to culminate in an agreement yesterday, August 18, between the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23/Congo River Alliance (AFC) guerrilla group. Representatives of the guerrilla group did not show up at the negotiating table, claiming that the provisions of the declaration of principles signed in Doha on July 19 had not been fully implemented (see Fides, 21/7/2025).
Qatar, which is mediating between the two parties, assured, however, that the talks are continuing. "Although the deadline of August 18 was not met, both sides responded positively to the mediation and expressed their willingness to continue negotiations," a representative of the Qatari government explained.
The issue that has blocked the signing of the agreement is the release of hundreds of prisoners by the authorities in Kinshasa, which the M23/AFC considers a priority. The release of the prisoners is one of the "confidence-building measures" provided for in the July 19 Declaration of Principles. However, the Congolese government has refused to comply with this provision until the final agreement is signed.
The draft agreement, which was scheduled to be signed yesterday, envisages a three-phase resolution to the conflict, expected to last at least seven months from the signing of the agreement. The first phase envisages the creation of a "provisional special unit" under the supervision of the Ministry of the Interior, composed of 50% "suitable" members of the rebel movement, tasked with collaborating with the police and the national army. Its area of operations would be limited to the areas currently controlled by the M23 in the provinces of North and South Kivu, where it would be the only force authorized to intervene. At the end of their five-year, renewable term, their members would be integrated into the army and police.
The agreement also provides for the return of state authorities to these territories, with the Congolese government making provisional appointments at the local level, without excluding potential candidates proposed by the AFC/M23. The provisional mandate of these transitional authorities would end with the organization of elections in the region, scheduled for 2027.
At the same time, the proposed agreement provides for the organization of a national dialogue in 2026. This project, unanimously demanded by the Congolese opposition and supported for several months by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Congo (CENCO) and the Church of Christ in Congo (see Fides, 4/2/2025, and 13/2/2025), has struggled to get off the ground. Finally, a multilateral monitoring mechanism is planned, jointly managed by the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23, with Qatar and the African Union (AU) participating as observers, to ensure the implementation of the agreement. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 19/8/2025)
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