Will Qatar's mediation role bring peace to eastern Congo?

Qatar has been mediating peace talks to end the conflict between the M23 rebel group and the Congolese army in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Rwandan President Paul Kagame and his Congolese counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi, met with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Tuesday in the Qatari capital, Doha.

According to a joint statement released by Qatar's Foreign Ministry after the talks, the two African presidents reaffirmed their commitment to an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire. However, it was not clear how that would be implemented or monitored, as no immediate resolutions were announced.

It was the first meeting at which both presidents had sat face to face at the negotiating table since the M23 rebels seized the key Congolese cities of Goma and Bukavu in January and February.

Qatar takes on role as conflict mediator

Beverly Ochieng, a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Africa Programme, pointed out that Qatar has a good track record when it comes to brokering peace deals.

She told DW that earlier peace efforts by the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community ultimately failed — and any potential ceasefire agreements collapsed before they were put in place.

"Qatar's involvement comes as a surprise, but at the same time there is a lot of precedent for Qatar being involved in various peace initiatives or dialogue initiatives — some of which are also on the continent," said Ochieng. She added that Qatari-mediated talks between the Chadian rebels and the Chadian transitional government led to "a pacification of rebel fighting."

Ochieng also noted Doha's success with regard to its long-standing role as a mediator in Afghanistan.

"It would be a great impetus for regional stability and [pose] low reputational risks given the fact that Rwanda is facing international sanctions over the conflict [in] the eastern part of DR Congo ... and it could be one of the reasons Qatar is seeking to mediate negotiations between Tshisekedi and Kagame," she said.

Qatar keen to strengthen regional stability, economic ties

Congo's presidential spokeswoman, Tina Salama, said on X that the talks were initiated by Al Thani, describing the Persian Gulf nation as a "strategic ally of the two [African] countries."

Qatar's substantial investments make it an important strategic partner for Rwanda. Qatar Airlines holds almost half of the shares in Rwanda's state-owned airline RwandAir and has a 60% stake in Bugesera International Airport near Rwanda's capital Kigali.

RwandAir and Qatar Air have signed a codeshare agreement for direct flights between Kigali and Doha to strengthen ties.

The interest in Rwanda is part of Qatar's wider growth strategy. "Qatar is a small country in the Middle East that intends to assert itself on the international stage," said Yvon Muya Cimanga, from the School of Conflict Studies at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Canada.

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To reach their envisioned goals, the governments use politics, sports, diplomacy and the economy as well, Yvon added.

Diversifying economy by airport investments

Petroleum and natural gas are the cornerstones of Qatar's economy and account for more than 70% of total government revenue. The Persian Gulf state has the world's third-largest proven natural gas reserve and is the third-largest exporter of natural gas.

"But the country is seeking to diversify the economy, and the Great Lakes region in Africa and its many minerals undoubtedly represent also an opportunity for the monarchy," Muya told DW.

"Doha's strategy in the region seems to be investment; they invest in infrastructure projects to modernise airports and ports."

Bilateral relations with Rwanda have grown steadily since diplomatic relations were established in 2017. The two countries are linked by several agreements and memorandums of intent which include trade, aviation and agriculture.

Qatar, though, also intends to strengthen its economic relations with Congo. In 2024, Qatar Airways announced the expansion of its network to include Congo's capital, Kinshasa, enabling greater flight frequency and increased capacity to Luanda, Angola and other regions.

The inaugural flight from Doha to Kinshasa landed at N'djili International Airport on June 1, 2024. This strategic move by the airline will improve air connectivity across the African continent and forge stronger business prospects, as well as cultural ties.

Qatar's close relationship — a tool to engage in talks

For Muya, Qatar's mediation in the eastern Congo peace process is not surprising.

"It can be explained by the close relationship that has accelerated in the recent years between the monarchy and the two countries in conflict," he told DW.

Angolan President Joao Lourenco, the African Union's chairperson and peace mediator in the Congo conflict, is pushing for direct talks between Kinshasa and the M23 rebel group.

Following Tuesday's talks, the Rwandan presidency said on X that the leaders "also discussed the urgent need for direct political dialogue with AFC/M23 as key to addressing the root causes of the conflict in Eastern DRC."

Pressure on Kagame shows impact of international pressure

The meeting of the two leaders came after a previous attempt to bring Congo's government and M23 rebels together for peace talks failed. The rebels pulled out on Monday after the European Union announced sanctions on their leadership.

According to Muya, M23 fighters are trying to gain as much ground as possible before engaging in serious dialogue in Kinshasa.

However, said Muya, Rwanda's President Kagame appears to be showing that the international pressure that has increased in recent weeks is having an impact on his regime.

For analyst Ochieng, it's "ultimately quite symbolic that the two of them [Tshisekedi and Kagame] have come together for these talks," she said.