M23, DR Congo sign new peace roadmap in Doha

The Democratic Republic of Congo and the Rwanda-backed M23 militia signed a new peace framework on Saturday in Qatar aimed at ending the fighting that has devastated eastern DRC. Hundreds of thousands of people have died in various conflicts in eastern DRC since the mid-1990s.

In a statement, Benjamin Mbonimpa, representing the M23 delegation in Doha, said the agreement contained "no binding clauses" and would not change "the situation on the ground". The text contains eight chapters on the "root causes of the conflict", which will be negotiated "before reaching a comprehensive peace agreement".