Can the Doha meeting end war in Congo's east?

Tuesday's meeting between the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Qatar rekindled hopes for a resolution to the war in Congo's east.

The meeting was the first time the two leaders talked directly after several months of trading hostile barbs.

The party of Congo's president believes Kinshasa has the momentum after a succesful campaign to internationally isolate Kigali.

''First of all, we have to recognise that the M23 has never been in favour of peace, because on several occasions they have been offered the hand of peace, but they have never accepted it, whether at the meetings of the presidents of the SADC, the EAC or the ECCAS. But today this ceasefire has been imposed on them not only by the African authorities but also, and above all, by Resolution 2773 of the United Nations Security Council, and to that we can add the sanctions that have been imposed on them by the United States and Europe,'' said Jean Thierry Monsenepwo, a member of the Sacred Union, President Felix Tshisekedi's coalition.

On Monday, the EU announced sanctions against Rwanda, a rare occurence.

But whether these incentives can force Kigali into concessions remains to be seen. Already controlling two mineral-rich provinces, the rebels hold significant sway.

Last December, a meeting between the two leaders in Angola's capital was aborted after the Rwandan president was a no-show.

Kinshasa now appears willing to hold direct dialogue with the rebels, a suggestion it considered a non-starter until two weeks ago.