The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have restarted peace talks in Qatar, sources said on Tuesday, part of a diplomatic effort to end fighting in Congo’s war-ravaged east.
The two sides last met in Doha in April to discuss a deal that would end fighting this year that has killed thousands, displaced hundreds of thousands more and raised fears of a wider regional war.
An official with knowledge of the talks in Doha told Reuters that the latest round began on May 3.
“The negotiations are being held in a positive atmosphere, and both parties have expressed optimism about the dialogue,” said the official, who asked to remain anonymous.
However, two rebel sources said M23 had sent a lower-level delegation than in the earlier round last month, and complained that government delegations had not been empowered to make any decisions in Doha.
They also said government officials had not done enough on confidence-building measures such as the release of suspected M23 members held by Congo.
A government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. A source in Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi’s office said Kinshasa’s priority was peace and it was open to amnesty in some cases.
In statements released after last month’s talks, both sides committed to ending acts of violence and hate speech and called on the Congolese people to support a ceasefire and help create a constructive environment for dialogue.
However, participants complained that the talks had quickly become bogged down in technical details.
Fighting in eastern Congo has since continued. The U.N. humanitarian office said on Tuesday that armed clashes in North Kivu province had displaced at least 30,000 people since Friday.
