Qatar enjoys a global reputation and track record of success as a neutral, reliable and responsible mediator and is invited to help conflicting parties reach agreements.
The county played a pivotal role in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) signing a joint declaration on Friday, pledging to respect each other’s sovereignty and draft a peace agreement by May 2 to end hostilities in conflict-torn eastern Congo.
DRC Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and his Rwandan counterpart Olivier Nduhungirehe signed the US-brokered agreement in Washington, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in attendance.
Separately, on Wednesday, the Alliance Fleuve Congo, a broader rebel coalition including M23 fighters, agreed to pursue a truce with the DRC government during Qatar-brokered talks in Doha.
UN Secretary-General’s Spokesperson H E Stephane Dujarric said the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in DRC lauded Qatar’s role in facilitating the signing of the joint declaration.
The joint declaration commits both nations to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, refrain from supporting non-state armed groups, avoid interfering in each other’s internal affairs, address security concerns through peaceful means, and establish a joint security mechanism to combat organized crime.
Eastern Congo has been gripped by a security and humanitarian crisis since January, after the M23 rebel group launched a new offensive, capturing large swaths of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
The DRC, along with the US and European Union, accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels — an allegation Kigali strongly denied.
Qatar welcomed the signing of the joint declaration in Washington. The country said it valued the diplomatic efforts by the US.
These efforts are in line with the progress achieved at the joint summit of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, on February 8, 2025 and trilateral meeting between the leaders of the DRC, Rwanda, and Qatar, in Doha on March 18, 2025, it added.
