AU welcomes Doha talks between DR Congo and Rwanda leaders

As fighting continues in the mineral-rich eastern DRC, the African Union (AU) welcomed the heads of state talks taking place in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, the head of the AU, praised the two nations “for their commitment to dialogue” in a statement on Wednesday, and urged all parties to “maintain the momentum.”

The regional body “continues to be resolute in its support of African-led solutions to African challenges.” The Doha discussions, which were held in a spirit of constructive engagement, complement these efforts and complement regional mechanisms in place, Youssouf said.

For the first time since Rwanda-backed M23 rebels seized two significant cities in eastern DRC this year, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, met in Doha on Tuesday to hold direct talks.

Details of whose implementation will be made clear “in the coming days,” according to the leaders’ statement, which called for an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire.”

After the European Union imposed sanctions on some of the group’s senior members, including leader Bertrand Bisimwa, M23 representatives canceled a scheduled meeting with DRC officials in Angola on Tuesday. In response to M23 support, the EU sanctioned three Rwandan military commanders and the country’s head of mining.

In the eastern DRC, which is rich in precious minerals like cobalt, M23 is one of more than 200 armed groups fighting for control of the region. Rwanda was accused of backing M23 by the Congolese government, the United States, and a group of experts from the UN, a claim Kigali refutes.

The group resurrected its offensive in eastern DRC in 2022 after it had been waning for more than ten years, seizing Goma as the capital city, followed by Bukavu in February.