The DRC government and the M23 rebel group have signed a new peace framework in Qatar aimed at ending the prolonged conflict in the mineral-rich east. The agreement, brokered over months by Qatar with support from the US and the African Union, follows earlier ceasefires that both sides accused each other of violating. Eastern DRC has suffered decades of violence, with hundreds of thousands killed since the 1990s. The new Doha Framework outlines eight chapters addressing the root causes of the conflict, which will be negotiated in stages before a final settlement. M23 representative Benjamin Mbonimpa said the document includes no binding commitments and is unlikely to immediately change the situation on the ground.
