DRC-M23: A Roadmap Adopted to Accelerate Peace Negotiations

Sunday 23 August 2026 - 13:16

After several months of tensions and difficulties in implementing peace commitments, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Congo River Alliance/March 23 Movement (AFC/M23) have expressed a willingness to reinvigorate negotiations. Both parties have agreed on a roadmap intended to organize the next steps of the dialogue initiated under the auspices of Qatar.

The announcement comes following discussions held in Switzerland from August 17 to 21, 2026. These meetings brought together representatives from the Congolese government and the AFC/M23, with participation from Qatar, the United States, Switzerland, the African Union Commission, and Togo, which is mediating for the African Union.

A Timeline to Continue the Doha Process

At the end of this diplomatic sequence, both sides agreed to establish a roadmap outlining the various stages and timeline for upcoming negotiations. The goal is to facilitate the continuation of discussions on the protocols yet to be negotiated under the Doha peace agreement.

This framework agreement, signed on November 15, 2025, in Doha, is one of the main diplomatic instruments aimed at achieving a political resolution to the conflict in eastern DRC. The parties also agreed that the order in which the different protocols will be negotiated will not necessarily determine the order of their implementation.

This clarification aims to provide more flexibility to negotiators, as several commitments remain challenging to implement on the ground.

A Mechanism to Monitor Commitments

The discussions in Switzerland also resulted in an agreement to create a mechanism tasked with evaluating the progress made and identifying the difficulties encountered in fulfilling the obligations outlined in the Doha framework agreement.

The parties also emphasized the need to use a common method to report any potential ceasefire violations. This approach should allow for better documentation of incidents and strengthen verification mechanisms.

A first ceasefire verification mission is scheduled for August 24 in Minembwe, South Kivu. This operation is part of the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism (EJVM+), which has recently made operational progress. A reconnaissance mission had already been conducted on August 20, with logistical support from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).

A Fragile Diplomatic Advancement

This new step comes as the Doha process continues to face significant obstacles. Commitments made during previous negotiations have not always resulted in concrete actions, while clashes and security tensions continue to weigh on eastern DRC.

The M23, integrated into the AFC and reportedly supported by Rwanda according to numerous international sources, has taken control of several strategic areas in North Kivu and South Kivu. Kinshasa contests this presence and accuses Kigali of militarily supporting the movement, which Rwanda has regularly denied.

The crisis is part of a particularly long history of conflicts in the Great Lakes region. Eastern DRC has faced the presence of armed groups, population displacements, and regional rivalries for several decades.

The Challenge of Turning Agreements into Results

The new roadmap thus serves more as a tool to revive the process rather than a definitive resolution to the conflict. Its effectiveness will largely depend on the parties' ability to adhere to the commitments made and to transform diplomatic decisions into concrete measures on the ground.

The participation of Qatar, the United States, Switzerland, and African actors underscores the importance attached to this process. Last week's discussions also confirmed that international mediation intends to maintain dialogue despite the difficulties encountered.

For both Kinshasa and the AFC/M23, the main challenge now remains to preserve the negotiation channel while reducing ceasefire violations and creating the necessary conditions for a lasting peace agreement. The upcoming mission in Minembwe will thus serve as a first concrete test of the announced new dynamics.