This week, after violence resurfaces, DRC government and M23 resume Qatar peace talks. Pope Leo raises voice for peace in Gaza. Will Syria’s move to recruit minorities in security build peace?
After Violence Resurfaces, DRC Government and M23 Resume Qatar Peace Talks
After a resurgence of violence in July, the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and leaders of the M23 armed group are resuming peace talks in Qatar. Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said on August 26 that delegations from Kinasha and M23 were meeting in Doha to review the implementation of a ceasefire deal signed in July.
The deal had intended to bring both sides to a final settlement, with talks beginning on August 8 and concluding on August 18. However, both sides accused each other of violations, and the deadlines passed without progress, Al Jazeera reports.
On August 20, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that M23 had killed over 140 people in the country’s eastern region in July in one of the group’s worst atrocities since its resurgence in 2021.
M23 rebels summararily executed these 140 civlians, mostly ethnic Hutus along with some ethnic Nandes, in at least 14 villages and farming areas in July 2025 near Virunga National Park, HRW reported. These attacks included women and children, the organization said. The M23 has denied being involved in the killings, BBC reported.
Pope Leo Raises Voice for Peace in Gaza
Pope Leo XIV is raising his voice for peace in Gaza. The pope joined Jerusalem’s Latin and Greek Orthodox Patriarchs joint appeal for an end to the the war in the strip, and for humanitarian aid to flow freely there. The patriarchs released the appeal on August 26.
Pope Leo said, “I appeal for all hostages to be freed, a permanent ceasefire to be reached, the safe entry of humanitarian aid to be facilitated, and humanitarian law to be fully respected—especially the obligation to protect civilians and the prohibitions against collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force, and the forced displacement of populations.”
Will Syria’s Move to Recruit Minorities in Security build Peace?
Syria has recently seen a push to recruit Kurdish men, including religious minorities, into its security forces, The Associated Press reported on August 23. A government official said that about 1,000 men from Afrin, a Kurdish-majority area, had signed up in recent days.
This was after a UN-backed commission that investigated violence on Syria’s coast recommended in early August that authorities recruit members of minority communities for a more “diverse security force composition” to better community relations and trust.
Kurds who have recently signed up include those of Alawite and Yazidi backgrounds. One Yazidi who signed up told The AP that the did so to be “part of the Syrian army and for there to be no discrimination.”
However, one Kurdish Alawite said, “I hope that the youth of Afrin will not think badly of us because of this affiliation” with the new authorities. Some activists supporting the rights of Kurds say the initiative to recruit some young people without guaranteeing the protection of communities is “irresponsible.” Wladimir van Wilgenburg, an Iraq-based Kurdish affairs analyst, said it would depend on whether Kurds are appointed to leadership positions, and whether some Turkish-backed groups return to their original areas.
Since Syria’s new government came to power in 2024, there has been tension between authorities and minorities. Between August 3 and 4, government-affiliated fighters clashed with Druze armed groups in the province. Read more here.
Keywords: Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, Congo, DR Congo, Gaza, Pope Leo, Syria, Alawite, Kurd, Yazidi, Minorities, peace, conflict, conflict resolution
Tara Abhasakun
Tara Abhasakun is Peace News Network (PNN)'s managing editor. She is journalist based in Christchurch, New Zealand, and formerly in Bangkok, Thailand. She has reported on a range of human rights issues involving youth protests in Thailand, as well as arts and culture. Tara's work has appeared in several outlets, including Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.
