Congo and M23 Rebels Agree on Peace Roadmap

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the M23-led rebel alliance agreed this week on a roadmap for peace negotiations after five days of talks in Switzerland, even as fighting continues in the country’s volatile east.

In a joint statement over the weekend, the two sides said the roadmap establishes “sequenced steps and timelines for negotiations” under the Qatar-mediated framework agreement signed last year. The Swiss talks included representatives from the United States, Qatar, Togo, Switzerland and the African Union Commission.

The parties also agreed on a standardized method for reporting ceasefire violations and a mechanism to address problems implementing the agreement.

On Monday, a mission began observing implementation of the ceasefire in Minembwe, South Kivu province, marking the first field deployment under the monitoring mechanism established by the Qa…