New negotiations between DR Congo and M23 rebels to take place in Qatar

A Qatari official said on Sunday that a draft agreement to end fighting between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 has been shared with the government and the rebels.

"We recognise the challenges on the ground and hope they can be overcome promptly through dialogue and genuine commitment," the official involved in mediation efforts added.

The news comes ahead of an 18 August deadline, agreed on last month between Kinshasa and the Rwanda-backed rebel group, to reach a peace deal.

He said that while the timeline had not been met, "both parties have responded positively to the facilitator and expressed a willingness to continue negotiations".

The roadmap in the Declaration of Principles signed on 19 July in Qatar had called for negotiations to begin by the 8 August with a final deal reached by Monday.

Since taking up arms again at the end of 2021, the M23 armed group has seized swathes of land in eastern DRC with Rwanda's backing, triggering a spiralling humanitarian crisis.

There was a new surge in fighting in earlier this year when the M23 captured the key cities of Goma and Bukavu, setting up their own administrations.

The official added that Qatar is "currently hosting an important session of negotiations in Doha aimed at following up on the implementation of the declaration and finalising an agreement.

Neither Kinshasa nor the M23 have commented on the latest statements.

On the ground in the eastern DRC, violence continues and has intensified since 8 August around the town of Mulamba, where the frontline has been relatively stable since March.

The Congolese army on Tuesday accused the M23 of carrying out " multiple attacks" against its positions in the east of the country, threatening the fragile ceasefire.

More than two million people have fled violence since January in the provinces of North and South Kivu, where the M23 is active, according to  the United Nations.