Congo’s government and M23 rebels held their first talks in months last week in Qatar, following the rebels’ rapid offensive in eastern Congo. These discussions, which will continue next week in Doha, offer the best chance yet to end the fighting, which has caused thousands of deaths and displaced hundreds of thousands since M23 seized the region’s two largest cities in January.

Concerns over a broader regional war have grown, with troops from Uganda and Burundi also present in the area. Private talks were held last week, ahead of the planned April 9 discussions, and were seen as constructive. As a goodwill gesture, M23 was withdrawn from the mineral-rich town of Walikale.

Although M23 had promised to leave Walikale last month, they initially failed to do so, accusing the Congolese army of not upholding its own commitments. However, local officials and the army later confirmed M23’sthe town departure from.

The conflict has drawn international attention, with the United Nations and Western governments accusing Rwanda of supporting M23, a claim Rwanda denies, stating it is acting in self-defense against Congo’s army and a militia linked to the 1994 genocide.

M23 has controlled large parts of eastern Congo’s North and South Kivu provinces since 2021, including the capitals of Goma and Bukavu. The Qatari-mediated talks aim to find a peaceful resolution. M23’s withdrawal from Walikale marks a hopeful development, though the situation remains fragile, with the army and rebels still in conflict over strategic areas like Walikale, which holds valuable mineral resources.