DR Congo peace roadmap: Will the fighting finally end?

Representatives of the Congolese government and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group agreed on a roadmap for peace after negotiations in Geneva.

It builds on the US-brokered framework signed in Doha last year, and sets out steps and timelines for negotiations and implementation: a ceasefire monitoring mechanism is also due to receive support from the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO.

The United States, Qatar, the African Union (AU) and Switzerland have all expressed their support for the process as brokers of the push for peace.

However, it is not a full peace plan with bindíng resolutions and terms; rather, many aspects of the push will still need to be fine-tuned.

The new diplomatic initiative could nevertheless be offering fresh hope following years of bloody conflict in eastern DRC; fighting in the region has killed hundreds of civilians and displaced millions since 2022. The M23 rebel group continues to control large parts of North Kivu and South Kivu — two provinces in eastern DRC that are highly coveted for their minerals.

As disagreements remain over key issues, doubts continue to cast a shadow over the prospect of a lasting peace.

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"There are likely to be many more bumps on the road — disagreements remain over issues including sanctions against M23, the release of detainees and the timing of political reforms. So this remains a very fragile commitment," Alex Vines, Africa program director at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told DW.