At the end of five days of closed-door discussions in Switzerland, DR Congo and the armed group AFC/M23, supported by Rwanda, reached an agreement on Saturday August 22 on a road map to guide the peace talks.
Under the mediation of Switzerland, Qatar, the United States, the African Union, and Togo (AU mediator), the two camps reaffirmed their desire to apply the Doha framework agreement signed last December and negotiated by the United States.
According to a joint press release following the discussions, which took place from August 17 to 21, the two parties “developed, in collaboration with the mediators, a road map defining the successive stages and the timetable for negotiations within the framework of the Doha framework agreement”, indicates the text made public by the various participants.
“They reaffirmed their commitment to continue negotiations with a view to comprehensive peace and a settlement of the conflict through the implementation of the framework agreement,” he added.
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Cover image: The leader of the Congolese opposition party “Ecide”, Martin Fayulu, was our guest in Tête-à-tête © FRANCE 24
Both sides said they agreed on the importance of a standardized method for reporting allegations of ceasefire violations. A first ceasefire verification mission is planned for Monday in Minembwe, in the province of South Kivu in the DRC, according to the press release.
The parties also agreed to establish a “mechanism to review progress and address challenges related to the implementation of obligations and commitments made under the Doha Framework Agreement,” the statement said.
Eastern DR Congo has been plagued by conflict for more than 30 years. In the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, the Congolese army faces the anti-government armed group AFC/M23, which has seized large swaths of territory in the provinces of North Kivu (east) and Ituri (northeast) since 2021, with the support of Rwanda and its army.
With AFP
