DRC and M23 rebels eye peace monitoring agreement in Switzerland

The latest negotiations come as clashes spill into the South Kivu highlands, with civilians ‘caught in the middle’.

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

The new round of negotiations between the two sides began on Monday, with mediation by the United States and Qatar, according to media reports.

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The Congolese government and the AFC/M23 rebel coalition signed an interim peace monitoring mechanism during the talks, Radio France Internationale (RFI) reported on Thursday.

The agreement establishes a body to track humanitarian and security developments and monitor potential ceasefire violations, RFI said.

The mechanism will include representatives from both the DRC government and armed group, with support from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).

Reporting from Goma in eastern DRC, Al Jazeera’s Alain Uaykani said the talks are taking place “while the situation on the ground is very fragile”, with both sides accusing each other of violating truce agreements.

“In the area of Minembwe [in South Kivu province], for example, thousands of civilians are caught in the middle of the battle between different groups,” he said.

People on the ground in the eastern DRC hope mediators will press both sides to respect a new durable peace mechanism, after a string of failed deals, added Uaykani.

‘Dire humanitarian crisis’

The AFC/M23 rebel coalition has seized large swaths of territory in the eastern DRC since the start of 2025, taking key cities, including Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, and Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu.

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame – whose country has been accused of backing the M23 rebels – signed a “historic” peace and economic agreement in Washington, DC, in December, aimed at ending fighting in the DRC.

Separate peace talks mediated by Qatar have also taken place between the DRC and the M23.

Despite peace efforts, clashes have continued, also flaring up almost immediately after the signing of the December deal. Most recently, fighting has reached the highland areas of South Kivu, according to media reports.

In a statement on Tuesday, Human Rights Watch accused the warring parties of blocking aid deliveries and stopping civilians from fleeing the South Kivu highlands.

“Civilians in South Kivu’s highlands are facing a dire humanitarian crisis and live in fear of abuses by all parties,” said Clementine de Montjoye, senior Great Lakes researcher at Human Rights Watch.

“More attention is needed for this vastly underreported conflict or this bad situation will get even worse.”