The Democratic Republic of Congo and the AFC/M23 agreed on a roadmap for continuing peace negotiations after talks held in Switzerland from August 17 to 21, with the deal meant to set the stages and timetable for talks under the Doha framework. The Swiss government issued a joint statement saying both sides reaffirmed their commitment to negotiations aimed at a comprehensive peace agreement and a resolution through implementation of the Doha framework.
Who Holds the Levers
The arrangement puts the next phase of the process in the hands of diplomats, mediators and verification machinery, not the people living with the violence. The parties agreed on a standardised method for reporting alleged ceasefire violations, and a first ceasefire verification mission under the MCVE+ mechanism is scheduled to take place Monday in Minembwe, in South Kivu province. They also agreed to create a mechanism to assess progress and identify challenges in implementing the commitments made under the Doha framework.
The discussions included efforts to strengthen the MCVE+ mechanism, including the creation of its secretariat and preparations for its first field verification mission. That is the language of managed conflict: paperwork, secretariats, missions and reporting systems, all meant to keep the process moving while armed power keeps its grip on eastern Congo.
What People Are Living Through
The agreement comes after a prolonged period of deadlock marked by continued violence and accusations of ceasefire violations in eastern Congo. The Doha framework and wider international mediation are aimed at ending a conflict that has displaced large numbers of people and destabilised the Great Lakes region. For those at the bottom, the cost is already written into the ground: displacement, insecurity and the slow grind of waiting for armed actors to decide whether a ceasefire means anything.
For now, the adoption of a roadmap provides a clearer structure for the next phase of negotiations, but the implementation of the ceasefire, verification of violations and progress on the remaining protocols will be crucial in determining whether the latest diplomatic push can translate into a lasting peace. Six other protocols have yet to be signed, according to political analyst Christian Moleka, who said the ceasefire commitments form only part of the first protocol under the Doha framework.
The Mediation Machine
The United States welcomed what it described as progress in the Doha peace process. Massad Boulos, a senior adviser to US President Donald Trump for Arab and Middle Eastern affairs and senior adviser for Africa at the State Department, said, “I welcome the additional progress made during the meetings held in Switzerland from 17 to 21 August regarding the continuation of the Doha Framework Agreement,” in a statement posted on X.
He reaffirmed Washington’s support for peace and stability in eastern Congo and the wider Great Lakes region, and highlighted the role of Qatar, Togo, Switzerland, the African Union Commission and other partners in supporting the diplomatic process. The list reads like a roll call of outside managers, each one claiming a stake in order while the conflict keeps chewing through ordinary lives.
Christian Moleka said the ceasefire monitoring measures represented some progress, but warned that the process remained at an early stage. He said the pace of negotiations shows how far the parties still have to go before reaching a comprehensive settlement. Moleka argued that both sides continue to protect their interests while facing pressure from mediators, with the possibility of renewed military action still present.
That warning hangs over the whole arrangement. The roadmap may give the talks a cleaner shape, but the conflict has already shown what happens when armed factions, foreign mediators and institutional power all claim they’re steering toward peace while the people most affected are left to endure the fallout.