The rebel group March 23 Movement (M23) has confirmed that it had dispatched a delegation to Doha, the capital of Qatar, for talks with the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Speaking on Friday at a press conference in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, which has been under M23 control since late January, the group's political leader, Bertrand Bisimwa, stressed that the two-person team had been tasked “only with discussing the mechanisms for a ceasefire and the release of prisoners”.

According to Radio Okapi, a United Nations-backed outlet in the DRC, talks between the DRC government and the M23 resumed this week in Doha under Qatari mediation, following missed earlier deadlines.

The Declaration of Principles, signed by both parties on July 19 in Doha, called for negotiations towards a peace deal to begin by August 8 and conclude by August 18. Although this deadline has now passed, Qatar circulated a draft agreement to both parties last week.

"When we finish this stage, we can move on to something else," Bisimwa said, acknowledging "blockages" in the Doha process.

The M23 had previously insisted that the declaration's provisions, particularly the release of its members detained by the DRC government, be implemented before broader peace talks could progress.

While the DRC government has yet to respond to the M23's latest remarks, it has reiterated its "firm commitment" to constructive dialogue, emphasising its determination to defend national sovereignty and restore lasting peace in the east. Both sides have accused each other of violating the Doha ceasefire agreement.

The security situation has deteriorated sharply since January, with the M23 seizing several strategic towns, including Goma and Bukavu, and exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.

According to the United Nations, more than 27.8 million people in the DRC are facing food insecurity, with over seven million displaced internally, many of them having been displaced multiple times.