The Democratic Republic of Congo and the Rwanda-backed M23-led rebel alliance have agreed on a roadmap for peace talks, Switzerland said Sunday, as fighting continues in the country’s mineral-rich east despite a framework agreement signed last year.
In a joint statement issued after Switzerland hosted five days of closed-door talks from Aug. 17 to 21, the two sides said they had developed “a roadmap setting out sequenced steps and timelines for negotiations” under the Doha Framework Agreement, a U.S.-brokered accord signed in the Qatari capital last November. They reaffirmed their commitment to pursue comprehensive peace and conflict resolution through that framework and agreed to flexibility in implementing it.
The talks were also attended by representatives from the United States, Qatar and the African Union Commission, with Togo serving as the AU’s mediator. The parties agreed on a standardized method for reporting alleged ceasefire violations and said they would establish a mechanism to review progress and address implementation challenges under the Doha agreement. A ceasefire verification mission is due to arrive Monday in Minembwe, an area of South Kivu province that has seen heavy fighting.
Disagreements remain over several issues, including sanctions against M23, the release of detainees and the timing of political reforms, according to those familiar with the talks. Fighting has continued on the ground despite repeated ceasefire commitments; an M23 spokesman said Saturday that Congolese “coalition forces” carried out drone strikes on populated areas around Minembwe, causing civilian casualties, an account Reuters could not independently verify.
Eastern DRC has been engulfed in conflict for decades, with numerous armed groups battling over the region’s vast mineral reserves. M23 seized large swaths of territory, including the city of Goma, over the past two years. The conflict is closely tied to tensions between Kinshasa and Kigali: Rwanda accuses Congo of failing to dismantle the FDLR, an armed group Kigali considers a security threat, while Congo accuses Rwanda of backing M23 with troops and weapons, an allegation Rwanda denies.
