Trump envoy meets DR Congo, Rwanda representatives in Doha
US President Donald Trump's senior Africa adviser met with Congolese and Rwandan representatives in Doha on Wednesday, the envoy said, after the two sides agreed to negotiate an end to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo's east.
M23 rebels, who UN experts and the United States say have received military support from Rwanda, have made rapid advances in the eastern DRC since January, seizing key cities in fighting that has killed thousands.
A joint declaration signed in the presence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio committed the two countries to come up with an "initial draft peace agreement" by May 2.
Trump envoy Massad Boulos, a businessman related to the US president by marriage, wrote on X that he had also met with officials from France, Qatar and Togo, the African Union's mediator in the conflict, "to advance our shared commitment to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Great Lakes region".
Qatar's foreign ministry said in a statement the discussions focused on the conflict in the DRC, ongoing negotiations between the parties and "the humanitarian situation... which continues to demand an urgent and coordinated response".
The Gulf state has emerged as a facilitator in the conflict that has flared in recent months.
In early March, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame held surprise meetings in Doha and later expressed their support for a ceasefire.
Last week in Washington, the two sides set the goal of reaching a draft peace agreement and vowed to respect each other's sovereignty.
The joint declaration said the two sides should expect "significant investments" facilitated by the US government and private sector, including in hydropower and minerals -- an area where China has been notably active.
But fierce fighting resumed in the days that followed the Washington agreement and fresh clashes erupted along several fronts in the eastern DRC.
At the Wednesday meeting in Doha, the Qatari statement said, the parties "welcomed the significant advancements" made in Washington and "expressed their readiness to contribute to the ongoing efforts that promote mutual trust, (a) sustainable ceasefire, and a peaceful resolution to the conflict".
