The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the M23 rebel group signed a Declaration of Principles on Saturday in Doha, setting the stage for formal negotiations aimed at reaching a comprehensive peace agreement.

The signing ceremony took place in the Qatari capital following the latest round of talks between the two sides, which began earlier this month under Qatari mediation.

Official representatives from both the Congolese government and M23 attended the event, along with a high-level Qatari delegation led by Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi.

In a statement released after the ceremony, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the declaration includes mutual commitments and a general framework designed to enable constructive peace talks in the coming weeks.

Since early July, Qatar has been facilitating direct discussions between the Congolese authorities and the rebel movement, aiming to end years of conflict in eastern DR Congo that have displaced thousands and destabilized the region.