DR Congo, M23 Agree Roadmap for Peace Talks

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) government and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group have agreed on a roadmap aimed at advancing peace negotiations and addressing the long-running conflict in the country's east.

The agreement was reached after five days of talks in Switzerland, with the parties pledging to pursue negotiations towards a comprehensive settlement and establish a mechanism to monitor compliance with a ceasefire.

The roadmap provides a timetable for negotiations under a US-brokered peace framework agreed in 2025. However, fighting continued in eastern DR Congo despite that agreement, underscoring the difficulties facing efforts to end the conflict.

The latest talks involved representatives of M23 and the DR Congo government, along with Qatar, the United States, Togo, the African Union Commission and Switzerland.

Under the agreement, the parties will establish a mechanism to review progress and address difficulties in implementing commitments made under the 2025 Doha Framework Agreement.

The participants also agreed on a series of "sequenced steps and timelines", while committing to maintain flexibility as negotiations move forward.

A separate mechanism to investigate alleged ceasefire violations has also been established. Its secretariat is already operating, with the first verification mission scheduled for Monday in Minembwe, in South Kivu, an area that has been affected by recent fighting.

Despite repeated ceasefire commitments, clashes have continued in North and South Kivu. The DR Congo government and M23 have repeatedly accused each other of violating previous agreements.

Several contentious issues remain unresolved, including sanctions imposed on M23, the release of detainees and the timing and scope of proposed political reforms.

The conflict is closely connected to longstanding tensions between DR Congo and neighbouring Rwanda. Kigali says DR Congo has failed to eliminate the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group that Rwanda regards as a security threat.

The Congolese government rejects allegations that it supports the FDLR and instead accuses Rwanda of backing M23 with soldiers and weapons. Rwanda has consistently denied supporting the rebel movement, saying its military presence in the region is defensive and intended to counter threats from armed groups.

The conflict escalated sharply in January 2025 when M23 captured large areas of eastern DR Congo, including the strategic city of Goma and two airports.

Decades of violence in the region have killed thousands of people and displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians.

Eastern DR Congo is also home to substantial deposits of coltan and other minerals that are important to global electronics manufacturing, adding an economic dimension to the conflict.