Rwanda's Minister of Interior Dr Vincent Biruta on July 16, met with Qatar's Minister of State for Interior Affairs Abdulaziz bin Faisal bin Mohammed Al Thani, in Doha. ALSO READ: Nduhungirehe, Qatar PM discuss bilateral cooperation The Qatari official also separately met with DR Congo's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Jacquemain Shabani, the Gulf country's Ministry of Interior said in a post on X. The meetings explored a range of topics of mutual interest and reviewed ways to strengthen cooperation and enhance joint work mechanisms, the Qatari ministry said. ALSO READ: Kinshasa, AFC/M23 rebels to hold fifth round of talks in Doha The meetings happened as Doha-mediated peace talks between the Congolese government and the AFC/M23 rebels entered the fifth round this week. Since early 2025, the rebels have controlled swathes of territory in eastern DR Congo, including the two largest cities Goma and Bukavu. They also happened about three weeks after Rwanda and DR Congo signed a peace agreement in Washington DC, which paved way for renewed efforts to bring peace and security to eastern DR Congo and the Great Lakes Region, in part by dismantling the FDLR, a Kinshasa-backed militia founded by remnants of perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. ALSO READ: Analysts: Rwanda-Congo peace deal promising, but political will, Doha talks are key Officials say that the Doha and Washington initiatives are separate but complementary, the former seeks to address more internal issues that led to the AFC/M23 rebel movement while the latter handles issues of concern between Rwanda and DR Congo, and the Great Lakes in general. Doha talks Qatar has mediated the peace talks between DR Congo and AFC/M23 rebels since mid-April. Reports say in the ongoing round of negotiations, the Congolese government is being represented by the deputy PM and Interior minister. ALSO READ: AFC/M23: Doha talks blocked by Kinshasa’s delay There are reports that the AFC/M23 delegation is led by its deputy coordinator Bertrand Bisiimwa, with both sides sending more senior representatives this time around, compared to previous rounds of talks. Rwanda was requested to attend as an observer, and its delegation is headed by Dr Biruta. Other observers to the negotiations include the US government, African Union Commission, and Togo, whose President Faure Gnassingbe is the AU-appointed mediator between Rwanda and DR Congo.
