New Agreements Bring Hope of Peace Between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and M23

By Madelyn Williams 

After months of conflict, the Rwandan-backed M23 has signed a framework for peace with the Democratic Republic of Congo. These talks were held in Qatar with mediation support from the US and the African Union. The talks could not come fast enough, as thousands have been killed and displaced. M23 has pushed further into the DRC, taking territory and committing mass atrocities. They captured Goma, Bukavu, and two airports earlier this year. The DRC turned to the US for security guarantees in exchange for access to critical minerals, something that remains one of Trump’s top priorities.

This framework follows several broken ceasefires. Previous attempts have all failed, most notably the deal negotiated by the Trump administration in June. Trump lauded that agreement as a success and added it to his list of wars he claims to have ended. But the ceasefire was quickly violated. In addition, M23, a main actor in this conflict, was not present at those talks. M23 favors Qatari mediation as they attempt to address the root causes of the conflict. This is intended to be a comprehensive deal with eight key points to be implemented; two have already been signed. These include ceasefire monitoring and a prisoner exchange. The remaining points will involve restoring state authority, economic reforms, reintegrating groups, and eliminating foreign actors. The deal seems promising, but only time will tell if it can withstand the pressure.