DRC peace plan shared with government, M23 rebels: Qatari official

A draft agreement to end fighting between the Democratic Republic of Congo's army and M23 has been shared with the government in Kinshasa and the rebel group, a Qatari official with knowledge of the negotiations said on Sunday.

The official involved in mediation efforts announced the "preparation and sharing of a draft peace agreement with both parties as part of the ongoing Doha process", with Doha set to host "an important round of negotiations" soon.

The Congolese government and the M23 signed a declaration of principles on July 19 in Qatar, aiming to ink a peace deal by August 18.

The Qatari official said that timeline had not been met but "both parties have responded positively to the facilitator and expressed a willingness to continue negotiations."