The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the M23 rebel group are set to hold their first direct talks in Doha, the Qatari capital, next Wednesday, a British media outlet reported, citing sources on both sides of the possible talks.
The negotiations will take place "unless the other side misbehaves," a Congolese official said, while an M23 source confirmed they plan to present demands to Kinshasa.
Both parties have agreed to keep discussions confidential, according to the report.
The possible meeting follows a March 18 discussion between DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, also held in Doha.
Last Friday, Qatari mediators reportedly hosted the second round of the DRC-Rwandan talks, and separately met with M23 representatives.
The first direct talks between the DRC government and the M23 rebels were supposed to take place in Angola's capital Luanda on March 18, however, the M23 group refused to participate, citing "successive sanctions" imposed on its members.