The presidents Felix Tshisekedi of Congo and Paul Kagame of Rwanda spoke to each other in Qatar on Tuesday. It is the first meeting between the two government leaders since the M23 rebels supported by Rwanda A few weeks the two large cities of Goma and Bukavu in Eastern Congo.
Congo and Rwanda say they are both on a ceasefire in a statement after the conversations. An anonymous diplomat speaks to the AP news agency of informal conversations aimed at building mutual trust. On Monday, M23, in the last instance, canceled peace talks with Tshisekedi, who had promised Tshisekedi under great pressure.
It is striking that Qatar now stands up as a mediator. The country also tried to claim that role in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Because Qatar has attached ties with Rwanda, it would be difficult for Kagame to repel an invitation of the Qatarans, says the Congolese analyst Bob Kabamba from the University of Liège Against the Reuters news agency.
In a joint statement, Tshisekedi and Kagame emphasizes on Tuesday that it is ‘important’ to stay in conversation, but there seems to be no question of an immediate breakthrough after the conversations in Doha.
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