The raging retaliations between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group have taken a positive turn according to a diplomatic source.
Deliberations towards peace have been commended by diplomatic sources and are ‘moving in the right direction’, as negotiations continue between the two parties in Qatar.
Congolese and M23 negotiators are currently working with Qatari mediators to try to overcome the remaining obstacles, the same diplomatic source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Last week, the M23 had called for the resumption of talks to resolve the outstanding issues in the peace deal facilitated by the US and signed in Washington last month between Kinshasa and Kigali.
The treaty is aimed at putting an end to the fighting that has claimed thousands of lives in eastern Congo. But unless M23, the most prominent armed group fighting in the region, agrees to it, the conflict is unlikely to end.
Many Congolese see the pact as an opportunity for the US to acquire minerals needed for much of the world’s technology after their government reached out to Washington for support in fighting the rebels. President Trump has pushed to gain access to such minerals at a time when the United States and China are actively competing for influence in Africa.
The DRC and Rwanda signed a peace deal on June 27, with an initial agreement to the terms of the deal aimed at ending fighting in eastern Congo.
