The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group have agreed on a roadmap for peace talks aimed at ending the long-running conflict in the country’s east.
The agreement was reached after five days of negotiations in Switzerland, with both sides pledging to pursue negotiations towards a comprehensive peace and conflict resolution.
According to a joint statement issued after the talks, the parties also agreed to establish mechanisms for monitoring ceasefire violations and tracking progress in implementing commitments under the Doha Framework Agreement.
The roadmap provides a timeline for negotiations under a United States-brokered peace framework signed in 2025, although fighting has continued in eastern DR Congo despite repeated ceasefire commitments.
The talks brought together representatives of the DR Congo government and M23, as well as officials from Qatar, the United States, Togo, the African Union Commission and Switzerland.
The parties agreed to establish a mechanism to review progress and address challenges in implementing their obligations under the Doha agreement.
They also developed “sequenced steps and timelines” while committing to flexibility in the negotiations.
As part of the ceasefire monitoring arrangement, a secretariat has been established, with the first verification mission scheduled to take place on Monday in Minembwe, South Kivu, an area affected by recent fighting.
However, significant disagreements remain, particularly over sanctions against M23, the release of detainees and the timing of political reforms.
Fighting has continued in North and South Kivu, with the DR Congo government and M23 repeatedly accusing each other of violating ceasefire agreements.
The conflict is closely linked to longstanding tensions between DR Congo and neighbouring Rwanda.
Kigali has accused Kinshasa of failing to dismantle the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group it considers a security threat.
DR Congo denies supporting the FDLR and has accused Rwanda of backing M23 with troops and weapons.
Rwanda has consistently denied supporting the rebels, maintaining that its military presence in the region is defensive and intended to counter threats from armed groups.
The conflict escalated significantly in January 2025 when M23 seized large areas of eastern DR Congo, including Goma and two airports.
Decades of violence have killed thousands of people and displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians, particularly across North and South Kivu.
The region is also rich in minerals, including coltan, which is essential to the global electronics industry.
The latest peace initiative offers a new framework for negotiations, but its success will depend largely on whether the parties can sustain the ceasefire and resolve the outstanding political and security disputes.
(BBC)
