Congo and M23 rebels miss deadline to reach Doha peace deal
Reuters3 days
M23 Pauses Peace Talks With DRC
Above: M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa and spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka leave a press conference on May 25, 2025. Image copyright: Kang-Chun Cheng/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-government narrative
This is not a surprise as the rebels want anything but peace in eastern DRC. The Rwanda-backed M23 militia has launched almost daily assaults on Congolese army positions, in blatant breaches of both the Washington peace deal and the Doha declaration of principles. On top of that, the rebels have killed at least 319 civilians in July with the backing of the Rwandan army.
Government-critical narrative
There's no sense in treating Kinshasa's military buildup and attacks as legitimate state authority while labeling M23 counteroffensives ceasefire violations. The DRC refused dialogue for years until M23 seized major cities, yet now demands rebel withdrawal as a peace precondition — even without implementing the Doha declaration — only to blame M23 for any process collapse.