The Democratic Republic of Congo government and the Rwanda-backed March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group have signed a comprehensive framework agreement in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday, November 15, 2025, marking a significant milestone in efforts to end the devastating conflict that has ravaged eastern Congo for years.
The peace framework, officially titled the Doha Framework for a Comprehensive Peace Agreement, was signed during a ceremony attended by representatives from both warring parties, alongside officials from the United States and Qatar, who have jointly mediated the months-long negotiations.
Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Qatar’s Minister of State and chief negotiator for the talks, described the agreement as “historic” during a press conference in the Qatari capital. He emphasized that the framework enhances the ongoing peace process by providing a roadmap to achieve peaceful solutions through dialogue and mutual understanding, with the goal of restoring stability across the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The agreement encompasses eight implementation protocols, two of which have already been finalized and signed. These include a ceasefire monitoring mechanism and a prisoner exchange protocol. The remaining six protocols are scheduled for discussion and completion over the coming weeks, according to officials familiar with the negotiations.
Key areas covered in the forthcoming protocols include establishing clear timelines for implementation, facilitating humanitarian aid delivery to affected populations, enabling the safe return of refugees and internally displaced persons, restoring state authority throughout the territory, implementing economic reforms, reintegrating armed groups into the government framework, and eliminating foreign armed groups operating in the region.
Both parties have agreed to establish an independent implementation committee tasked with overseeing the peace process and providing recommendations for reparations within the framework of national reconciliation, consistent with the Congolese constitution.
Massad Boulos, Senior Advisor and Special Envoy for Africa under US President Donald Trump, represented Washington at the signing ceremony. He thanked Qatar, the African Union, and Togo for their contributions to the mediation efforts. Boulos highlighted that the agreement represents a collaborative achievement between the United States and Qatar, drawing parallels to their joint success in brokering the recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
“Today is a historic occasion in many ways,” Boulos stated, describing the framework as a “launching pad” for an eventual comprehensive peace agreement that will build upon previous and ongoing negotiations. He cautioned against expectations for immediate results, explaining that achieving sustainable peace is a complex process requiring careful implementation across multiple dimensions.
However, despite the optimism surrounding the signing, challenges remain on the ground. Reporting from Goma, Al Jazeera correspondent Alain Uakyani noted that while the peace agreement has generated hope among Congolese citizens, expectations for immediate tangible changes remain tempered. On Saturday morning, M23 claimed its positions were bombarded by government forces, subsequently capturing additional territory from Democratic Republic of Congo soldiers.
The current agreement follows a ceasefire and declaration of principles signed by both parties in July 2025 in Doha, though that earlier accord has been marred by repeated violations, with both sides accusing each other of breaking the truce.
The M23 rebel group, widely reported to be backed by Rwanda, has seized extensive territory in eastern Congo since resuming armed activities in late 2021. The group captured the major provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu in January and February 2025 during a lightning offensive that killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more, triggering a severe humanitarian crisis in the mineral-rich region.
The Doha negotiations between the Congolese government and M23 run parallel to a separate peace agreement signed between the governments of Congo and Rwanda on June 27, 2025, in Washington, D.C., known as the Washington Accord. That agreement, brokered by the United States, calls for Rwandan troop withdrawal from eastern Congo and the dismantling of armed groups including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), while establishing a regional economic integration framework involving American investment interests.
Saturday’s framework agreement represents the latest effort to bring lasting peace to a region that has experienced decades of conflict, instability, and humanitarian suffering, with international mediators hoping that sustained diplomatic pressure and implementation mechanisms will finally translate commitments on paper into peace on the ground.