Doha: As part of its efforts to promote peace and stability in the Great Lakes region, the State of Qatar continues to play a pivotal role in bridging the views of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Alliance Fleuve Congo/March 23 Movement (AFC/M23) through sponsoring the Doha Framework for a Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed on Nov. 15, 2025.
According to Qatar News Agency, Qatar's active diplomacy has contributed to building trust between the two parties, supporting negotiations, and providing a neutral platform for dialogue, opening new horizons for ending the armed conflict in eastern DRC. In collaboration with international and regional partners, intensive talks were held in Switzerland from Aug. 17-21. These talks included representatives from the DRC government, AFC/M23, and active participation from Qatar, the United States, the Republic of Togo (as the African Union mediator), the African Union Commission, and Switzerland.
The discussions led to an agreement on a practical roadmap for implementing the "Doha Framework for a Comprehensive Peace Agreement," confirming Qatari mediation's centrality and diplomatic efforts to establish peace foundations between the DRC government and AFC/M23. A joint statement from the DRC government and AFC/M23 noted progress in activating the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism Plus (EJVM+), including its Secretariat's establishment and a reconnaissance mission on August 20, ahead of the first ceasefire verification mission on Aug. 24 in Minembwe.
Both parties agreed on a standardized method for reporting ceasefire violations and established a mechanism to review progress and address implementation challenges under the Doha Framework Agreement. They developed a roadmap outlining sequenced steps and timelines for negotiations, committing to flexibility and creativity within the existing framework.
The DRC government and AFC/M23 representatives expressed gratitude to Qatar, the United States, Togo, Switzerland, and the African Union Commission for their support in promoting peace and stability in eastern DRC and the Great Lakes region. All eyes will focus on Minembwe tomorrow for the first official field mission to verify the ceasefire, a crucial step toward building mutual trust and providing a stable security environment in conflict-affected areas.
Qatar continues to solidify its role as a key player and trusted international mediator in resolving conflicts peacefully. The "Doha Framework for a Comprehensive Peace Agreement" signed on Nov. 15, 2015, laid the foundation for ending decades of tension and conflict in eastern DRC. Qatar's efforts extended beyond sponsoring initial negotiations to include diplomatic support and diligent follow-up with international and regional partners, facilitating dialogue and moving the parties from principle formulation to field activation and follow-up.
Earlier this month, the DRC authorities released 15 detainees to AFC/M23, in line with the mechanism for detainee release signed in Doha in September 2025, as part of the Doha Peace Process. This achievement underscores Qatari diplomacy's success in achieving peace and stability in Africa.
Dr. Abdullah Bandar Al Otaibi, Assistant Professor in the Department of International Affairs at Qatar University, highlighted that Qatari mediation's success exemplifies Doha's transition from a negotiation host to a diplomatic actor capable of moving conflicts from crisis management to settlement-making. He emphasized that the shift from the Doha Framework to an executive roadmap in Switzerland enhances Qatar's position as a reliable mediator, as the real test of any mediation is the ability to turn agreements into implementable steps.
Dr. Al Otaibi credited Qatar's progress to combining trust, access, and continuity, maintaining communication channels with all parties, and investing politically and diplomatically even after the agreement signing. This ability to communicate with all parties without becoming part of the conflict is a key asset of Qatari diplomacy.
He also noted that activating the EJVM+ and releasing 15 detainees demonstrates that the agreement is working, transforming the Doha Agreement from a political document into a tangible security reality. These confidence-building steps change parties' calculations and prove that political commitment can yield real gains on the ground.
Regarding the success of this mediation's potential effects on the Great Lakes region's stability, Dr. Al Otaibi stressed its importance in preventing a return to violence and gradually building trust. If the roadmap continues to produce tangible results, it may address challenging issues such as security arrangements, displaced persons' return, and humanitarian concerns. Stability emerges not from a single agreement but from accumulated steps that make peace a viable option and war a costly one.
Concluding his remarks, Dr. Al Otaibi suggested that the Doha Framework could serve as a model for other conflicts in Africa, emphasizing that the Qatari approach's replicability lies in building trust, maintaining open communication channels, combining political mediation with implementation mechanisms, and engaging continually post-signing. The mediator's success is gauged not just by what is signed in Doha but by the changes on the ground after.