DRC, M23 Rebels Agree to Peace Roadmap After US-Mediated Talks

Negotiators representing the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have agreed to a roadmap for peace. The US State Department, a mediator, released a joint statement. After days of negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, representatives from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 have agreed to a shared roadmap designed to facilitate peace in the DRC after years of brutal war. The US State Department, which was involved in mediating talks alongside the African Union (AU) , Switzerland and Qatar, released a statement describing the situation on Saturday evening. The State Department said the agreement builds on a US-brokered deal signed last November in Doha, Qatar, adding that Congo and the rebels had "developed a roadmap setting out sequenced steps and timelines for negotiations under the Doha Framework Agreement." Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines Despite a ceasefire being in place since November 15, the shift to peace has been slow, though prisoners, for instance, were recently exchanged. The newly agreed roadmap made clear that an observer mission monitoring the ceasefire will receive support from UN MONUSCO peacekeeping forces and that further negotiations designed to bring about lasting peace will take place soon. Hundreds of civilians have been killed and millions displaced by fighting between the two sides since early 2022, when M23 — with backing from neighboring Rwanda — began its quest for control of resource-rich eastern Congo and its gold, cassiterite, coltan and diamonds. M23, which is accused of committing brutal wartime atrocities, has controlled large swaths of the North and South Kivu provinces since 2025. The State Department statement released on Saturday said both sides had thanked mediators "for their steadfast support in advancing peace and stability in eastern DRC and the broader Great Lakes region." Edited by: Sean Sinico DR Congo and M23 Rebels Agree On Roadmap for Peace in Eastern Congo AFC/M23, Kinshasa Agree On Roadmap to Move Peace Talks Forward AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 500 news and information items daily from over 90 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.