The Congolese government and the AFC/M23 rebes have made significant progress in exchanging prisoners according to the Joint Monitoring Committee of the Washington Agreement.
Delegates of the Congolese government and those of the AFC/M23 rebellion gathered in Doha, Qatar on Monday for the fourth meeting of the Joint Monitoring Committee of the Washington Agreement.
The meeting mediated by Qatar sought to evaluate the implementation of the peace agreement signed on June 27, 2025 in Washington, DC.
“The State of Qatar provided an update on the ongoing negotiations in Doha between the DRC and the AFC/M23, highlighting the progress made on key issues, including prisoner exchanges. The Committee welcomed the first meeting of the Doha Ceasefire Monitoring Mechanism on November 5. It expressed its strong support for these efforts and stressed the essential role of the Doha process in the broader implementation of the peace agreement,” stated the press release from the U.S. State Department.
Parties reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining the momentum of the peace process and consolidating the progress achieved. The governments of the DRC and Rwanda thanked the United States, Qatar, the African Union, and Togo for their unwavering support in promoting peace and stability in eastern DRC and the Great Lakes region.
Following the Declaration of Principles, the prisoner exchange mechanism between Kinshasa and the AFC/M23, negotiated in Doha and supported by the United States and the African Union, was signed in September 2025.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) acts as a neutral intermediary for the verification and safe release of detainees.
However, its implementation remains stalled due to disagreements over release criteria, particularly for individuals suspected of serious crimes, which undermines the ceasefire and has slowed its implementation to date.
Delegates from the Congolese government and the AFC/M23 rebellion met again in Doha with the Qatari mediator to try to resolve the security crisis in eastern DRC. At the end of this sixth round of talks, held on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, the two sides reached an agreement on a joint ceasefire verification mechanism.
The objective of this initiative, according to the mediator and the stakeholders, is to silence the guns in order to allow the continuation of discussions aimed at a comprehensive and lasting peace agreement, as well as the effective implementation of the compromises already reached.
According to a statement from the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “the State of Qatar, the United States of America, and the African Union will participate in this mechanism as observers, enhancing transparency and supporting regional and international efforts to ensure the success of the peace process in the Great Lakes region.”
The same statement emphasizes that the establishment of this mechanism constitutes “a crucial step in strengthening mutual trust and progressing toward a comprehensive peace agreement between the two parties to the conflict.”
For the AFC/M23 movement, the success of the system will depend on Kinshasa respecting its commitments: “If Kinshasa fully respects its commitments, this application will create the climate of serenity, peace and security essential to finally address the fundamental issues of the conflict and ensure the protection of civilians,” the movement had declared.
For its part, the Congolese government believes that this signing reflects its desire to achieve a cessation of hostilities, to guarantee the security of the population and to prepare the conditions for a comprehensive and lasting peace agreement, within the framework of the Doha process supported by the international community.
This new phase of the dialogue, dubbed “Doha 6,” follows meetings held in August 2025, during which discussions focused on prisoner exchanges and ceasefire monitoring mechanisms.
These meetings resulted in the signing of several confidence-building measures, including one concerning prisoner exchanges.
Although these measures have not yet been implemented, they are considered important steps toward lasting peace in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.