AU Welcomes Rwanda-DR Congo Peace Talks in Doha Amid Intensifying Conflict

• Rwandan and Congolese leaders held direct talks in Doha, calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire as fighting escalates in eastern DRC.
• The African Union praised the dialogue, urging continued momentum and support for African-led solutions to the ongoing conflict.
• The war in eastern DRC has displaced nearly 7 million people, with M23 rebels seizing major cities amid accusations of Rwandan support, which Kigali denies.

The African Union (AU) has welcomed the direct talks held in Doha between Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi, as violence continues to escalate in the mineral-rich eastern DRC.

In a statement on Wednesday, AU Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf praised both nations for their “commitment to dialogue” and urged all parties to “maintain the momentum” towards peace. He emphasized the AU’s firm support for “African-led solutions to African challenges,” adding that the Doha discussions—held in a “spirit of constructive engagement”—align with regional efforts to resolve the crisis.

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Tuesday’s talks marked the first face-to-face meeting between Kagame and Tshisekedi since M23 rebels, widely believed to be backed by Rwanda, seized control of two major cities in eastern DRC earlier this year. Following the meeting, both leaders issued a joint call for an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire,” with implementation details expected to follow in the coming days.

The Doha negotiations came shortly after a planned meeting in Angola between DRC officials and M23 representatives collapsed, following European Union sanctions targeting senior M23 leaders—including its head, Bertrand Bisimwa—as well as three Rwandan military commanders and the chief of Rwanda’s mining agency. The EU cited Rwanda’s alleged support for M23 in its decision, accusations Kigali has consistently denied.

M23, one of over 200 armed groups operating in the eastern DRC, re-emerged in 2022 after a decade of dormancy, escalating its offensive this year with the capture of Goma in January and Bukavu in February. The group’s renewed campaign has intensified a conflict that the UN describes as one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with nearly 7 million people displaced—over half of them children.

The AU pledged to continue supporting efforts to end the violence and restore stability to the region, where control over valuable mineral resources, including cobalt, has fuelled the prolonged unrest.

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