President Paul Kagame on Tuesday participated in a meeting alongside his Democratic Republic of Congo counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi, which was hosted by the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani as part of efforts to ease the situation in the Eastern of DRC.

Held at Lusail Palace in Doha, Qatar, the surprise meeting appeared to be fruitful as the two leaders, Kagame and Tshisekedi, agreed on the necessity to continue the talks that aim at establishing a strong basis for enduring peace in the region.

According to the State of Qatar, Kagame and Tshisekedi welcomed the progress made in Luanda, Angola, and Nairobi processes, as well as the joint EAC-SADC summit held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on February 8, 2025.

“The Heads of State reaffirmed the commitment of all parties to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire as agreed at the said summit,” the State of Qatar stated in a statement.

“The Heads of State then agreed on the need to continue the discussions initiated in Doha in order to establish solid foundations for lasting peace as envisioned in the Luanda/Nairobi process, now merged and/or aligned.”

Kagame and Tshisekedi expressed their gratitude to the State of Qatar and Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani “for their hospitality” and for organizing a productive meeting, which promised to contribute to a secure and stable future for DRC and the surrounding region.

The State of Qatar said it hoped that the meeting would play a crucial in resolving disputes between Rwanda and DRC, as well as attain a bright future for the region.

DR Congo has been accusing Rwanda of sending troops over the border and contributing to poor security in its eastern region.

Rwanda, however, denies all of these accusations and has been expressing its concerns regarding DRC’s collaboration with the FDRL, a militia associated with the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Rwanda has also raised its worries about the threats made by Tshisekedi to unseat Rwandan leaders over accusations that Rwanda backs the M23 rebels in eastern DRC.