DRC and M23 rebels eye peace monitoring agreement in Switzerland

The latest negotiations travel arsenic clashes spill into the South Kivu highlands, with civilians ‘caught successful the middle’.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and M23 rebels are holding talks successful Switzerland, the latest effort to curb deadly fighting that has persisted contempt a December bid accord.

The caller circular of negotiations betwixt the 2 sides began connected Monday, with mediation by the United States and Qatar, according to media reports.

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The Congolese authorities and the AFC/M23 rebel conjugation signed an interim bid monitoring mechanics during the talks, Radio France Internationale (RFI) reported connected Thursday.

The statement establishes a assemblage to way humanitarian and information developments and show imaginable ceasefire violations, RFI said.

The mechanics volition see representatives from some the DRC authorities and equipped group, with enactment from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission successful the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).

Reporting from Goma successful eastbound DRC, Al Jazeera’s Alain Uaykani said the talks are taking spot “while the concern connected the crushed is precise fragile”, with some sides accusing each different of violating truce agreements.

“In the country of Minembwe [in South Kivu province], for example, thousands of civilians are caught successful the mediate of the conflict betwixt antithetic groups,” helium said.

People connected the crushed successful the eastbound DRC anticipation mediators volition property some sides to respect a caller durable bid mechanism, aft a drawstring of failed deals, added Uaykani.

‘Dire humanitarian crisis’

The AFC/M23 rebel conjugation has seized ample swaths of territory successful the eastbound DRC since the commencement of 2025, taking cardinal cities, including Goma, the superior of North Kivu province, and Bukavu, the superior of South Kivu.

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame – whose state has been accused of backing the M23 rebels – signed a “historic” peace and economical agreement successful Washington, DC, successful December, aimed astatine ending warring successful the DRC.

Separate bid talks mediated by Qatar person besides taken spot betwixt the DRC and the M23.

Despite bid efforts, clashes person continued, besides flaring up astir immediately aft the signing of the December deal. Most recently, warring has reached the highland areas of South Kivu, according to media reports.

In a connection connected Tuesday, Human Rights Watch accused the warring parties of blocking assistance deliveries and stopping civilians from fleeing the South Kivu highlands.

“Civilians successful South Kivu’s highlands are facing a dire humanitarian situation and unrecorded successful fearfulness of abuses by each parties,” said Clementine de Montjoye, elder Great Lakes researcher astatine Human Rights Watch.

“More attraction is needed for this vastly underreported struggle oregon this atrocious concern volition get adjacent worse.”