The main rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the M23 has walk away from peace talks arguing that authorities need to adhere to a previous ceasefire deal. Last month, the rebels and the DRC signed a ceasefire agreement in Qatar, yet on Monday 18 of August, negotiations were set to resume, but the representative of the M23 were not present.
The fighting escalated in January of the current year, when M23 capture the regional capital of eastern Congo, Goma which is rich in mineral like lithium, gold, coltan and tantalum.
Lawrence Kanyuka, spokesperson of the M23 said to the BBC that the Congolese government does not want peace since they continue to attack rebel positions. The Congolese government argues that it is the other way around, with M23 launching daily attacks to the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
This treaty was supposed to complement the peace deal previously signed by Rwanda and Congo. But the ceasefire between M23 and DRC appears to have entered an indefinite pause. Adding to the thousands of the people that have been killed by the conflict and the hundreds of thousands of people forced to relocated.
Chibelushi, W. (2025, 18August). DR Congo: M23 rebels suspend peace talks with government. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c80d12xj20ro