Türkiye has welcomed a deal reached signed between the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and rebel groups aimed at ending decades of armed conflict in eastern DRC.
Democratic Republic of Congo and a coalition of various rebel groups, including M23 (AFC/M23), signed a declaration of principles in Qatar on Saturday committing themselves to a permanent ceasefire and a comprehensive peace agreement to be signed in one month, a move widely hailed.
‘‘We welcome the Declaration of Principles signed between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and M23 under the facilitation of Qatar. This Declaration constitutes an important step toward a peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict in the east of the DRC,’’ Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Sunday.
‘‘We appreciate the constructive contributions to the stabilisation and development of the Great Lakes region by all actors involved in this process, particularly Qatar, the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community,’’ the ministry said.
Promoting peace in Africa
‘‘Türkiye will continue to support all efforts aimed at promoting peace, security and stability in Africa,’’ it added.
This is the first direct commitment by the DRC government and the M23 rebels since the rebel seized two key cities in eastern Congo in a major advance earlier this year.
The African Union also hailed the new deal as a "significant development", saying: "This... marks a major milestone in the ongoing efforts to achieve lasting peace, security, and stability in eastern DRC and the wider Great Lakes region".
The M23 rebel group is the most prominent of the armed groups launching attacks to seize control of the Congo’s mineral-rich east.
The violence has killed more than 8,000 people, mostly civilians, since the end of 2024, according to the DRC government, adding to an estimated six million already killed since 1996.
With 7 million people displaced in Congo, the UN has called the conflict in eastern Congo “one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth.”
