The Israeli delegation for the talks in Qatar over the Gaza ceasefire returned to Israel on Monday morning, according to the statement.
The delegation traveled to Doha on Sunday for indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas concerning the second phase of the fragile ceasefire, following Netanyahu’s visit to Washington last week.
However, according to Netanyahu’s office, the delegation focused only on technical matters, not major issues that have yet to be agreed upon, including the administration of Gaza after the war.
Under the ceasefire, which took effect on Jan. 19 after 15 months of devastating war, 21 hostages — 16 Israelis and five Thais — were released from Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian detainees freed from Israeli jails. More than 70 hostages are still in Gaza.
Under the first phase of the agreement, which spans six weeks, a total of 33 hostages and about 2,000 detainees are expected to be released.
His appeal aligns with the resolutions from the recent extraordinary summit of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which called for a ceasefire and negotiations between the conflicting parties in eastern DRC.
The international community has repeatedly encouraged the DRC government to negotiate with M23 in search of a lasting security solution.
However, the government has consistently rejected this approach, opting instead for military intervention.
Despite continued offensives by the DRC army coalition, M23 has expanded its control over more territories. This was evident on January 23, when the group took over Sake, and again on January 27, when it captured Goma.
Cardinal Ambongo criticized the government’s refusal to hold talks with M23, arguing that relying solely on military solutions has proven ineffective and has only worsened conditions for civilians.
He stressed that dialogue is essential in resolving long-standing conflicts and warned against wasting more time while the country remains in crisis.
Speaking during a Mass in Kinshasa on January 9, he underscored the urgency of negotiations, asserting that addressing decades-old challenges requires engagement with all stakeholders, including perceived enemies.
He emphasized that every moment is crucial for the nation’s stability and urged authorities to take swift action to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
Cardinal Ambongo also suggested that if necessary, the DRC government should be willing to travel to Goma, currently under M23 control, to meet with the group’s representatives. He maintained that achieving lasting peace should take precedence over political or logistical concerns.
Cardinal Ambongo further insisted that negotiations should involve all parties, regardless of where they are, as excluding key stakeholders would hinder efforts to reach a sustainable resolution.
While the DRC government welcomed the resolutions from the EAC and SADC summit, it has not indicated any willingness to change its position and engage in direct talks with M23 as recommended.
Here, towering ice structures mimicking landmarks from across Asia, cheers from super-long ice slides, and the breathtaking view from a giant Ferris wheel attracted over 610,000 visitors during this year’s eight-day Spring Festival holiday, which ended Tuesday.
Near the entrance of the Harbin Ice-Snow World, an iconic winter attraction, a row of giant red characters stands out: “Snow and ice are also valuable assets.”
This statement, first made by Chinese President Xi Jinping about nine years ago, has reshaped the country’s ice-and-snow sector and spurred the stellar growth of related industries.
In March 2016, when taking part in a group discussion with Heilongjiang lawmakers at the annual national legislative session, Xi stressed the importance of leveraging the province’s winter resources. “Clear waters and green mountains are valuable assets, and so are Heilongjiang’s ice and snow,” he said.
Bordering frigid Siberia, Heilongjiang is known for its freezing temperatures and ample snowfall in winter. With winter temperatures sometimes dropping below minus 30 degrees Celsius, the provincial capital Harbin is dubbed China’s “ice city.”
Guided by Xi’s vision, the province has made sustained efforts to turn itself into a world-class winter tourist destination. Last year, Harbin alone welcomed 179 million visitors, with tourism revenue reaching 231.42 billion yuan (about 32 billion U.S. dollars), both rising over 30 percent year on year.
The 9th Asian Winter Games, set to open here on Friday, presents the latest opportunity to cement Harbin’s “ice city” reputation. Notably, winter sports and tourism are also gaining momentum across China.
Driven by policy support and increased demand, the number of ice-and-snow tourists in China is expected to reach 520 million in the 2024-2025 winter season, with revenue likely to exceed 630 billion yuan, according to the latest report by the China Tourism Academy.
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Xi has identified China’s ice-and-snow sector as both a key economic driver and a vital means of promoting public fitness. A passionate sports enthusiast, he closely follows the development of winter sports.
The primary goal of hosting the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics was to “engage 300 million people in ice-and-snow sports” and promote the leapfrog development of winter sports in the country, Xi told International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach in 2014.
Before Beijing 2022, he conducted five on-site inspections across different competition zones in Beijing and the adjacent Hebei Province, meeting with athletes, construction workers and venue operators.
“The ultimate goal of building a sporting powerhouse and a healthy China is to strengthen the people’s fitness, which is also an essential part of China’s endeavors to build a modern socialist country in all respects,” Xi said.
The goal of “300 million people in winter sports” is now a reality, thanks to the promotion and popularization of ice-and-snow sports.
“This year, our facility has seen a greater number of people hitting the ice, with a year-on-year growth of about 15 percent,” said Meng Qingyou, who teaches skating at a winter sports center in Harbin.
Across the province, well-equipped facilities and professional coaching at ski resorts have drawn in new entrants from across the country.
In the city of Shuangyashan, a popular ski resort offers 14 trails of varying difficulty levels, catering to both novices and seasoned ski enthusiasts.
“This is my first time skiing,” said Zhao Dezhou, a tourist from east China’s Jiangsu Province. “At first, I was really nervous, but with the coach’s patient guidance, I can now glide freely across the snow and fully enjoy the thrill of this winter sport!”
Even in snow-scarce regions of the country, more people are embracing indoor ice-and-snow sports. According to a recent industry report, six of the world’s top 10 indoor ski resorts are in China, located in cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu.
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Beiji Village is nestled at the northernmost tip of China in the city of Mohe, Heilongjiang. As one of the coldest villages in China, Beiji endures an average temperature of below zero for over seven months a year.
This agricultural and fishing village was named a national top-level scenic spot in 2015, attracting an increasing number of visitors to experience its unique scenery and extreme cold.
“The tourism resources here are truly exceptional,” said Xi at the village during an inspection tour in September 2023. He stepped into villager Shi Ruijuan’s homestay and talked with the locals.
Noting the importance of the tourism sector in achieving high-quality development, Xi urged policy support to ensure that the distinctive snow-and-ice resources generate more income for local people.
In the past, the harsh cold and remote location drove many locals to leave Beiji. Nowadays, however, the very same factors are drawing tourists from far and wide. With ice-and-snow tourism gaining popularity in recent years, ice skating, skiing and fun activities like splashing water to create ice crystals have become big draws of the village.
“Tourists used to come mainly in summer, but now we get plenty of visitors in winter too,” said Shi, adding that she had never expected the bitter cold to become a major tourism attraction.
Shi has run the homestay business for more than a decade. “Previously, it was hard to make even 10,000 yuan a year. Now, we have visitors all year round, and during peak season I can earn over 10,000 yuan in just a week,” she said.
With its booming ice-and-snow tourism, northeast China as a whole has gained fresh appeal. Once known as the country’s rustbelt, the region has long struggled with a painful economic transition and talent outflows.
“Revitalizing northeast China” has been a recurring theme evident in Xi’s multiple inspection tours. In 2023, he stressed efforts to focus on developing the ice-and-snow economy as a new growth driver by promoting a full industrial chain of ice-and-snow sports, culture, equipment and tourism.
Under Xi’s guidance, the ice-and-snow boom has spread from northeast China to the entire country, fostering a new national growth engine.
Located in northwest China’s Xinjiang, Altay Prefecture is developing its reputation as a top skiing destination. In the 2023-2024 snow season, Altay welcomed about 4.89 million tourist visits, with tourism revenue totaling 5.1 billion yuan. It drove about half of the growth in terms of both tourist visits and revenue in Xinjiang last season.
Southwestern provinces, such as Yunnan and Sichuan, are also leveraging their unique plateau ice-and-snow resources, as well as their proximity to Southeast Asia, to attract tourists.
Peng Fuwei, a senior official of the National Development and Reform Commission, noted that the sector has formed a “dual-engine” structure, with winter manufacturing and services leading the way.
“China now produces a comprehensive range of winter sports equipment, from personal gear to high-end snowmaking machines and snow groomers. In 2023, winter equipment sales reached about 22 billion yuan,” he said.
The country aims to boost its ice-and-snow economy as a new source of growth, targeting an economic scale of 1.2 trillion yuan by 2027 and 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030, according to guidelines released by the State Council last year.
Xi made the remarks at a welcome banquet ahead of the opening ceremony of the Games in Harbin, capital city of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province.
He called on Asia to hold fast to the common dream of peace and amity, jointly respond to all sorts of security challenges, and contribute to building an equal and orderly multipolar world.
Xi also stressed the shared pursuit of prosperity and development, calling on Asian people to seek common progress and inject impetus into economic globalization.
To realize the common wish of integration and affinity, Xi called for promoting inclusive coexistence, exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations in Asia.
On February 6, 2025, the U.S. hosted its annual prayer breakfast, known as the USA National Prayer Breakfast, bringing together leaders and dignitaries to pray for the nation and the world. Among the attendees was former U.S. President Donald Trump.
First Lady Jeannette Kagame was also present at the event and was invited to offer prayers for the U.S. and global peace.
Following the event, the U.S.-based legal and political advisory firm Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C. alleged that President Kagame had initially been invited but that his invitation was later revoked due to “his actions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).”
However, the Rwandan Embassy in the U.S. strongly dismissed these claims, calling them entirely false.
“This is a flat-out lie. President Kagame was the main speaker last year. Speakers rotate annually and this year had a different speaker. Rwanda’s First Lady was invited to offer a prayer for the event. Claiming that the President was “uninvited” is just petty nonsense.”
On February 1, 2024, President Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame attended the same event, where the President addressed an audience of over 3,500 attendees.
His remarks follow a Heads of State summit in Tanzania that brought together leaders from the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to address the escalating conflict in eastern DRC.
The summit called for direct negotiations between all parties, including the M23 rebel group, an immediate ceasefire, and the withdrawal of uninvited foreign forces.
“The outcomes from the joint summit are in essence confidence-building measures towards a sustainable peace. These confidence-building measures will finally lead to the drawdown of the SAMIDRC troops,” Ramaphosa stated.
Ramaphosa underscored the urgency of the crisis, particularly after the deaths of 14 South African soldiers among 18 SAMIDRC troops killed in recent clashes.
He emphasized that a ceasefire would allow humanitarian aid to reach affected civilians and help stabilize the region.
The summit directed that the EAC/SADC Chiefs of Defence Forces meet within five days to develop a securitisation plan for Goma and the surrounding area, the reopening of Goma airport, the evacuation of civilians and the repatriation of the deceased.
Despite international calls for dialogue, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi has remained reluctant to engage with the M23 rebel group, which now controls large swathes of North Kivu.
The summit was convened following the capture of Goma after intense fighting, with M23 also taking control of Sake and appointing provincial leaders in North Kivu.
M23 maintains that it took up arms to defend the rights of persecuted Congolese Tutsi and Rwandaophone communities, citing the DRC government’s failure to address their grievances.
With the situation rapidly evolving, the implementation of the summit’s resolutions will be crucial in determining the path toward lasting peace in the region.
He was speaking on RBA’s Inkuru mu Makuru program where he analyzed the resolutions from the February 8, 2025, summit in Tanzania, that brought together leaders from the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to address the conflict in eastern DRC.
One of the key resolutions from the summit was to restart direct negotiations between the Congolese government and various armed groups, particularly M23.
Despite this resolution, President Tshisekedi has repeatedly stated that he will not negotiate with M23, which he labels a terrorist organization.
When asked whether Tshisekedi might reconsider, Senator Uwizeyimana asserted that refusing to negotiate would lead to the collapse of his forces, warning that “they will be marched all the way to Kinshasa.”
“There are two options: either you negotiate and find a solution, or you face the consequences of firepower. And right now, on the battlefield, the advantage is not on his side,” he added.
Uwizeyimana emphasized that the next step is to determine whether the agreements will be implemented, especially since both EAC and SADC have acknowledged that negotiations are the best way forward.
However, he raised concerns about Burundi deploying more troops to eastern DRC, suggesting that this could hinder efforts to enforce the peace resolutions.
Rwandan EAC Parliament member, Ambassador Fatuma Ndangiza, also participated in the discussion and described the summit’s resolutions as a positive step toward resolving insecurity in eastern DRC.
She warned that if Tshisekedi remains defiant, his country could face fragmentation, or his government could be overthrown by Congolese citizens fighting for their rights.
“There are many historical examples. Take South Sudan, for instance. It fought a 50-year war to gain independence from Sudan, which had denied them citizenship and imposed discriminatory policies based on race and religion. Despite Sudan’s military power, South Sudan eventually won its sovereignty,” she explained.
Ndangiza also drew parallels with Rwanda’s history, recalling how the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) waged a liberation war after the Habyarimana regime refused to recognize the rights of Rwandan refugees.
“When people fight for their rights, it may take time, but they ultimately prevail,” she said.
Ndangiza urged Tshisekedi to embrace dialogue with M23, arguing that military force alone cannot resolve the conflict.
“You can suppress them today, but because they are fighting for a cause, their children and grandchildren will continue the struggle. Tshisekedi’s best option is to seek peace and resolve the issue through negotiations,” she concluded.
Ndangiza noted that agreeing to talks with M23 and implementing the agreement could lead to lasting peace.
The decision follows high-level consultations between Egypt and other Arab nations, including Palestine, which requested the summit.
Egypt has also coordinated with Bahrain, the current chair of the Arab League (AL) summit, and the AL secretariat, according to the ministry’s statement.
The announcement comes amid controversy over recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who suggested relocating Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries, including Egypt and Jordan. The proposal has been widely rejected by regional and international actors.
During a joint press conference in Washington with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump stated that the U.S. planned to take control of Gaza and redevelop it after relocating its Palestinian residents.
Both Egypt and Jordan have previously dismissed similar proposals, firmly opposing any forced displacement of Palestinians.
Owinow, a retired major-general, replaces Charles Tai Gituai, who served since 2020. His appointment comes at a crucial time, with key provisions of the revitalized peace agreement still pending ahead of South Sudan’s elections in December 2026.
With over four decades in military and diplomatic roles, Owinow previously served as Kenya’s High Commissioner to Uganda (2020-2022) and as Deputy Force Commander for the African Union Mission in Somalia (2019-2020).
RJMEC has urged swift financial and political action to implement critical reforms, including unifying forces, to meet the extended election deadline.
In its latest report, the body emphasized the need for stronger political will to secure lasting peace.
The summit, held on February 8, 2025, focused on the deteriorating security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where clashes between a coalition fighting alongside the Congolese army and the M23 rebel group continue.
Footage from the Tanzanian President’s office showed Faki attending the summit’s official opening alongside heads of state and representatives from various organizations.
He had been invited by Kenya’s President and EAC Chairperson, Dr. William Samoei Ruto, representing a key bloc in the discussions.
However, before the summit moved into a closed session, the Master of Ceremonies (M.C.) requested Faki to leave.
A diplomat attending the summit told Kenyan Foreign Policy that Faki complied but raised concerns about who had instructed the M.C. to make the request.
Jevin Pillay Ponisamy, SADC’s Ambassador to the AU, said it is customary for invited guests to leave once the closed-door discussions begin.
Although this protocol was cited, Faki’s exclusion created unease among some participants, leading organizers to invite him back.
According to the diplomat, Faki initially refused to return.
The DRC government recently expressed disagreement with Faki regarding his views on security in the country’s eastern region, after he suggested engaging in dialogue with a “political group with a military wing.”
