The Democratic Republic of Congo has handed over 15 prisoners to the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group (an armed movement that controls significant territory in the country's volatile east) as part of a peace agreement brokered by Qatar. The transfer marks a tentative step forward in a peace process that had been stalled for months since the Doha Framework was signed following Qatari-mediated talks. Analysts say the gesture, while modest, could help revive negotiations aimed at resolving one of central Africa's most protracted and deadly conflicts.