Trump advisor says renewed Doha negotiations are a “critical step” to a peace agreement
The U.S. government has hailed the start of talks between the AFC/M23 rebel movement and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Doha, calling the process a “critical step” toward putting an end to the region’s decades-long conflict.
On Thursday, August 21, Massad Boulos, the special advisor for Africa under U.S. President Donald Trump, posted on X that Washington was “encouraged” by the progress made since Kinshasa and AFC/M23 signed the Declaration of Principles on July 19.
Boulos said in a statement that this week’s negotiations are an important step in the process of reaching a peace deal that will allow communities in the region to live in harmony following decades of conflict, building on the Declaration of Principles signed in July between the DR Congo and AFC/M23.
The renewed emphasis on dialogue follows reports of fresh fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, during which both sides sent delegations back to Doha earlier this week after missing the deadline of August 18 to sign a peace deal.
The US government, according to Boulos, demanded “an immediate end to violence against civilians and underscores the need for concrete actions to uphold commitments to peace and stability.”
The Declaration of Principles must be put into effect, the AFC/M23 rebels have demanded, pointing out that a lasting peace requires tackling the conflict’s underlying causes.
Recently, the rebels have charged that the Congolese government coalition has increased the level of violence by sending more troops and equipment to various fronts.
Last week, Boulos had cautioned that fresh violence might undo the progress achieved thus far. In an August 15 statement, he called for “cooperation and strong leadership” from both parties, saying that violence “undermines progress towards peace and prosperity.”
