The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing a political and diplomatic resolution to the ongoing conflict in its eastern provinces.
Addressing a press briefing on Wednesday, October 8, Minister of Communication and Media, Patrick Muyaya, announced that security experts from both the DRC government and the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group will resume peace talks “in the coming days” in Doha, Qatar.
The renewed dialogue, facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross, will centre on ceasefire mechanisms, humanitarian concerns, and the release of detainees.
The planned discussions follow the Declaration of Principles signed in July in Doha, which outlined a roadmap for negotiations to begin by August 8 and a peace accord to be finalised by August 18—a schedule that has since expired. Meanwhile, fighting in the eastern region has intensified, with the M23 capturing major cities such as Goma and Bukavu since January. The conflict has exacerbated the country’s humanitarian crisis, with United Nations figures indicating that 27.8 million people face food insecurity and more than 7 million have been displaced, many multiple times.