In a breakthrough mediated by Qatar and the United States, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Rwanda‑backed M23 rebel group have signed a framework agreement that can potentially bring about a lasting peace in eastern Congo. The historic pact was signed in Doha on 15 November 2025 and has outlined eight protocols with the aim of dealing with the root causes of the conflict rather than offering an immediate halt to hostilities.
According to Benjamin Mbonimpa, head of the M23 delegation, the agreement does not yet amount to a full peace deal but rather functions as a roadmap. Two of the eight protocols, such as prisoner release and the establishment of a ceasefire oversight body, were already agreed earlier this year, while the remaining six, including restoring government control in rebel-held areas, ensuring humanitarian access, and the resettlement of displaced people, are to be negotiated in the coming weeks.
While the framework is being hailed by mediators as a “historic starting point”, deep mistrust lingers. The rebel group underscores that ground-level changes won’t occur until each protocol undergoes thorough debate, negotiation, and agreement. For its part, the Congolese government has expressed cautious optimism, stating that the framework is intended to “create, in the shortest time possible, the conditions for a real and measurable change for the people.”
The agreement comes on the back of a ceasefire declaration signed in July, also in Doha, that committed both sides to principles of peace but failed to fully stop the violence. Observers note that this new pact is a sharpened attempt to build on those earlier steps, but they warn that implementation will be the real challenge.
The geopolitical stakes are high. Decades of violence, involving not only the M23 but more than a hundred armed factions, have ravaged the mineral-rich eastern DRC. Meanwhile, broader peace efforts between the DRC and Rwanda, including a Washington‑brokered agreement earlier this year, continue to overlap with the Doha talks.
As the world watches, the new framework offers a fragile but hopeful blueprint. Whether it becomes a path to lasting peace or unravels under the weight of broken promises remains a test not just of diplomacy but of trust.
