(MENAFN- IANS) Kinshasa, Nov 3 (IANS) Peace talks between the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group will resume next week in Doha, Qatar, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi has said.

According to the statement issued late Sunday by the Congolese presidency, Tshisekedi reaffirmed that the DRC remains committed to political and diplomatic means to end the conflict in the eastern provinces, while upholding the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Doha has remained the only operational channel of dialogue between Kinshasa and the M23 for months. In July, Kinshasa and the M23 signed a Declaration of Principles in Doha, a roadmap that initially set a start date for negotiations no later than August 8 and the signing of a peace agreement before August 18. These timelines have now passed without being met.

Tshisekedi, who arrived on Sunday in Doha to participate in the Second World Summit for Social Development scheduled for November 4-6, also praised the involvement of Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in the ongoing exchanges with the M23, Xinhua news agency reported.

The statement did not specify whether the president would take part directly in the upcoming talks with the rebels.

After re-emerging in late 2021, the M23, now part of the political-military Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), has extended its control over several strategic centres in eastern DRC, including Goma and Bukavu. In these areas, parallel administrative structures have been established, further weakening local institutions and worsening an already dire humanitarian situation.

According to the United Nations, more than 2.4 million people have been displaced since January 2025, bringing the tally of internally displaced persons to nearly 6 million. Around 1 million Congolese have sought refuge in neighbouring countries, while 27 million people are now threatened by hunger.

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