The Democratic Republic of Congo government and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group have agreed on a roadmap aimed at advancing peace negotiations and ending the conflict in eastern DR Congo.
The agreement was reached after five days of talks in Switzerland, where the parties pledged to “pursue negotiations towards comprehensive peace and conflict resolution” and establish a mechanism to monitor ceasefire violations.
The roadmap provides a timeline for negotiations under a US-brokered peace framework signed in 2025. However, fighting has continued in eastern DR Congo despite the agreement, prolonging a conflict that has displaced millions of people over several decades.
Several contentious issues remain unresolved, including sanctions imposed on M23, the release of detainees and the timing of proposed political reforms.
The latest talks brought together representatives of M23, the Congolese government, Qatar, the United States, Togo, the African Union Commission and Switzerland, which hosted the negotiations.
According to the joint statement, the parties agreed to establish a mechanism to review progress and address challenges in implementing obligations and commitments under the Doha Framework Agreement, referring to the 2025 peace deal.
They also agreed on “sequenced steps and timelines” for the process while committing to demonstrate “flexibility and creativity” in addressing outstanding issues.
As part of the agreement, the parties will implement a mechanism to monitor ceasefire violations. Its secretariat has already been established, with the first verification mission scheduled for Monday in Minembwe, an area of South Kivu that has been affected by fighting.
Despite repeated ceasefire commitments, clashes have continued in North and South Kivu. The Congolese government and M23 have repeatedly accused each other of violating previous ceasefire agreements.
The latest roadmap is therefore seen as a new attempt to translate existing peace commitments into a structured negotiation process, although major differences between the two sides remain.
