The Congolese government and the AFC/M23 movement were expected to meet in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, November 11, to advance the ongoing peace negotiations, with reports saying a long-awaited peace deal would be signed.
ALSO READ: DR Congo crisis: Uncertainty looms over Doha peace talks
However, the rebels said the government delegation was nowhere to be seen in the Qatari capital, which has hosted the peace talks since April. Doha talks complete the Washington Peace Agreement signed in June between Rwanda and DR Congo.
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While media reports suggested that Tuesday's proposed agreement might not have been the final peace deal between Kinshasa and the AFC/M23, the document would be presented in Washington, where the President of Rwanda and DR Congo are expected to meet in the future and discuss the regional security and economic issues with US President Donald Trump.
ALSO READ: AFC/M23 leader Corneille Nangaa states four reasons why his movement is fighting Tshisekedi govt
Bertrand Bisimwa, the deputy political coordinator of AFC/M23, who was present in Doha for the expected round of talks, expressed his disappointment in a post on X.
"At the very moment in Doha, we are growing weary of waiting for the arrival of the delegation from Kinshasa, this regime shines with a double posture," Bisimwa wrote, commenting on a post that said the government coalition had carried out drone attacks on Monday night.
"On the media [the government] carries a discourse of peace, on the ground, it carries out belligerent and criminal acts which undermine all hopes for peace."
Bisimwa was citing a statement from the rebel movement's spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, who on the same day condemned continued attacks by the Congolese government despite the ongoing Doha negotiations.
Kanyuka has previously accused the government coalition of attacking densely populated areas even as the two parties were negotiating peace in the Gulf country.
"These attacks, which openly flout ceasefire commitments, once again targeted civilian populations on the night of Monday to Tuesday, 11 November 2025, this time in Luki, in the territory of Masisi," Kanyuka said.
"Faced with this escalation of violence and these crimes against innocent people, the AFC/M23 is not content to denounce these repeated violations. Our Organization reaffirms its unfailing commitment to protect and defend civilians, cowardly targeted by the forces in Kinshasa."
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Ceasefire monitoring
Tuesday discussions were also expected to revive momentum on the stalled ceasefire monitoring mechanism, which has failed to achieve tangible progress on the ground in eastern DR Congo.
The mechanism was established in October to foster conditions conducive to meaningful negotiations aimed at addressing the underlying drivers of conflict in eastern DR Congo, with the adopted measures serving to lay the groundwork for substantive talks that tackle the root causes of the ongoing violence.
This approach aligns with the principles outlined in the declarations signed by both parties on July 19.
Both parties had committed to strengthening the ceasefire process by signing a monitoring agreement on October 14, following the sixth round of Doha-mediated talks.
The agreement mandated the establishment of a joint team to monitor and verify the ceasefire within seven days, by October 21. However, this critical step remains unimplemented.
ALSO READ: What we know as M23, DR Congo set up ceasefire monitoring team
On the other hand, President Felix Tshisekedi had previously announced on November 3, that a peace agreement could be signed as early as the beginning of this month. Yet, the rebels have repeatedly cautioned that persistent ceasefire violations by Kinshasa, coupled with the absence of a clear framework for dialogue, continue to obstruct progress toward a sustainable accord.
While the Qatar-mediated peace talks remain the focal point of hopes for resolving the crisis in eastern DR Congo, hostilities continue to highlight the fragility and uncertainty surrounding the peace process.
