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The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebels participated in peace negotiations in Qatar following several days of turmoil. M23 has retreated from the town of Walikale, and discussions are set to resume the upcoming week.
A group from the Democratic Republic of Congo's government had new discussions with the M23 rebels. Qatar Last week regarding halting the combat in the nation's eastern region, a person privy to the talks informedReuters andAFPnews agencies on Saturday.
Neither side has provided comments on the discussions yet.
The first round of talks took place in late March, characterized by a source involved in the negotiations as "positive." The discussion occurred behind closed doors, with further meetings scheduled to resume in Doha on April 9.
Additional discussions are anticipated in Doha, once more with the Qataris facilitating, to maintain the progress and seek viable resolutions to conclude the conflict. peacefully ,the information was provided to the AFP news agency.
On Thursday, the nation's military stated that rebels had retreated from the mineral-rich center of Walikale, as agreed upon during discussions held in March. At first, they had criticized the M23 for failing to uphold their pledge.
The westernmost point that the M23 has attained is Walikale.
The conflict in Congo
The eastern Congo conflict's complexity Rooted in the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the struggle over mineral resources, this situation is making the mediation efforts even more complex.
The DRC has vast reserves of lithium and cobalt and other minerals, especially in the east. This has led to several rebellions and clashes over control of the region.
The M23 rebellion, led by members of the Tutsi ethnicity, came into existence in 2012 and continues to be among the strongest insurgent organizations active in the area.
Rwanda has faced accusations of supporting M23, but it has refuted these claims.
The unrest in Congo has also spread around the region, with Uganda and Burundi both having troops in the country.
Edited by: Zac Crellin
Author: Tanika Godbole (with AFP, Reuters)
