Kinshasa, July 10th, 2025 (CPA).- Kigali is proposing to secure exclusive control of the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu for eight years through its M23-AFC auxiliaries, according to sources close to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s negotiators in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday. ‘The main demand of the M23-AFC in Doha is to obtain exclusive control, in all respects, of the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu for eight years,’ a source close to the Congolese government’s negotiating team told CPA. The source also reassured the Congolese government’s position on these demands made by Rwanda’s auxiliaries. ‘Obviously, the government cannot accept such a proposal for a soft balkanization accepted by the DRC. It is unacceptable even to hear it from those who claim to be waging war for the Congolese people,’ the source said.
The M23 rebels, supported by Rwanda, called last week for new talks to resolve outstanding issues in the peace agreement signed in June between Kigali and Kinshasa in Washington to end the fighting in eastern Congo. And since the beginning of the week, these negotiations have resumed in Doha between government delegates and those of the M23-AFC. These talks were also announced during the signing of the DRC-Rwanda agreement on 27 June in Washington, mediated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The Washington agreement is based on four pillars: the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from the DRC, a comprehensive ceasefire, a commitment to no longer support armed groups, and provisions on disengagement, disarmament and the conditional integration of non-state armed groups. According to several analysts and diplomats, this agreement is balanced and marks a decisive turning point for the DRC. The signing should mark the end of this essentially economic war, which has lasted more than 30 years. However, some experts believe that for the peace process to be credible, several conditions must be met, namely: an effective ceasefire, the withdrawal of all armed groups, and lasting security guarantees.